
GIJiNCB 



SuccEssnri 
Threshing 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




DDD177a411D 




Dingee-MacGregor 




Class ^^ 

Book_ .^_— __ 



Copyright }j^. 



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^^' 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



SCIENCE OF 
SUCCESSFUL 
THRESHING 



JDingee-MacGregor 



FIFTH EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED 







Publisked by 

J. I. CASE THRESHING MACHINE CO. 
RACINE. WIS. 

1997. 

4NCOHPQRATEP 






Copyrighted by 

R. T. ROBINSON 

1899 



;L!BRAHY of CONGRESS 
Two GonK"i >?(">'""ecl 

JUN 21 ibU9 



wrmf 



COPY D. 




HE object of this book is to enable the owners 
and the operators of ''Case" Threshing Ma- 
chinery to become famihar with the construc- 
tion and operation of their engines and ma- 
chines. The material has been gathered, not 
only from the author's personal experience, 
l)ut also from notes taken during visits to the 
outfits of a large number of the best and most successful 
threshermen in various localities. The aim has been to 
avoid theorizing and to make only such statements as have 
been demonstrated practical, by actual field experience. The 
fact is appreciated that it i& impossible to lay down specific 
rules for operating threshing machinery, under the ever 
varying conditions of grain, strav'/ and weather, but it is 
hoped that the suggestions herein embodied will enable a 
man of ordinary intelligence to operate his machine success- 
fully, and to be, to a certain extent, an expert himiself. 

It is the intention to continue revising it from time to 
time, and with this aim in view, suggestions and criticisms 
will be welcomed from threshermen, wherever located, to 
whom this little volume is respectfully dedicated. 



CONTENTS. 



For Index, f^ee page 223. 

PART 1. ENGINES. 

Page. 

Chapter I Fitting Up and Starting a New Engine 9 

II Tlie Feed Water " 13 

" III Firing with Various Fuels 2D 

" IV Lubrication and Adjustment of Bearings. ... 35 

" V Handling the Engine ■ 4 7 

" VI The Engine Proper 5 3 

VII The Valve Gear 69 

YIU The Boiler • 81 

IX The Ti-action Gearing 95 

" X Water Tanks -103 

. XI Horse Powers 107 



PART II. SEPARATORS. 

Page. 
Fitting Up and Starting a New Separator. ... 121 

Setting the Separator • 125 

The Cylinder, Concaves and Beater 129 

The Straw-rack and Conveyor 141 

The Cleaning Apparatus 143 

Threshing with a Regula.rly Equipped Sepa- 
rator 151 

VII Threshing watli a Specially Equipped Sepa- 
rator 161 

VIII Feeding the Separator 171 

IX The Straw Stackers 177 

X The Grain Handlers 187 

XI Lubrication and Care of the Separator 195 

XII The Belting of a Separator 201 

XIII The Pulleys of a Separator. 211 

XIV Babbitting Boxes 215 

XV The Waste in Threshing 219 



Chapter 


I 




II 




III 




IV 




V 




VI 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Page. 
Fig-. 1 Left Side Elevation of "Case" Traction Engine 8 

2 Sectional View of Injector ** 19 

3 Sectional View of "Marsh" Pump 23 

4 Sectional View of Check-valve ...'.'.'.*..*.!! ! 25 

5 Sectional View of "Case" Heater ...*....'...'.'! 27 

6 Sectional View of Fire-box for Burning Straw."!.'.'.'.'.*,' 32 

7 Top or Plan-view of "Case" Traction Engine. .......... 34 

8 Sectional View of "Ideal" Cup .* .* 37 

9 Oil Pump Attached 38 

10 Swift Lubricator 39 

11 The Connecting-rod ' 42 

" 12 The Cross-head .................." 44 

13 Engine Fittings l. ....... ...].. 46 

14 Side Elevation of Engine Proper 53 

15 Sectional View of Simple Cylinder .......[.. '. [ [ [ .' .' ." 54 

16 Governor ry 

17 Sectional View of Governor Valve ..".'.".'.'.'.' 58 

18 Sectional View of "Woolf" Compounded Cylinder 64 

19 Face of Valve ' gg 

20 Showing Pipe to Steam Plugs ........[[.[[.. 66 

21 The Center-head Packing g7 

" 22 The "Woolf" Reverse Valve-gear.. . fic 

" 23 Tram on Disc '.'.'.'.'.'.'..'. 73 

24 Tram on Cross-head 74 

25 Tram on Valve-stem 76 

26 Sectional View of Boiler with Grates "f'o'r 'coal 'or'wo'od' 84 

27 Interior of Gage ' or 

" 28 Section of Siphon '..'.'.".".'. 86 

29 Sectional View of Pop-valve , 86 

30 Cut Showing Cannon-bearings and GearinV qr 

■' 31 Friction Clutch , gj 

32 Section of Clutch-arm and Rings. . .*......'.'. 93 

33 Rear View of "Case" Traction Engine. . . . . 99 

34 The Differential Gear, Showing Sprins-s. 101 

35 Top View of Power with Sweeps and Equal'izer 'Attached! 109 



;; 36 Sectional View of 12 and 14 Horse Iron-frame Power "ll7 
o7 Sectional View of "Case" Separator "ton 




43 Sieves and Screens j ,q 

;; 44 Left_ Side of Separator with Feeder 'r'nd'wi'nd 'stacker! !l71 

4o Sectional View of "Case" Feeder l"o 

;; 46 Right Side of Separator with Feeder and' windStacker! 177 

47 Sectional View of Wind Stacker. . i^l 

48 Telescoping Device for Straw-chute 1 q9 

" 49 Head of "Case" Weigher 1 oq 

" 50 Leather Belt Lacings oqI 

51 Location of Holes for Lacing a Canvas Belt " " 207 

" 52 Stitched Canvas Belt Lacings 208 

53 Pdght Side of Separator with Feeder ' and ' !Attached' 

■"^^^^^^'^ 218 



PARTI. ENGINES. 




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CHAPTER I. 
FITTING UP AND STARTING A NEW ENGINE. 

N packing an engine for shipment it is usual 

to remove the brass fittings to prevent their 

being stolen. These, together with the hose, 

governor belt and wrenches are packed in a 

box. The rod for the flue scraper (and the 

straw fork, for straw burning boiler), are 

placed in the boiler tubes and the funnel for 

filling the boiler is placed in the smoke-box. The fire-box, 

ash-pan, tubes and smoke-box should be examined to insure 

the removal of all loose parts before the fire is started. - 

Attaching Brass Fittings. In attaching the fittings to the 
boiler, care should be taken to screw them in tightly enough 
to prevent leaking. Brass expands more with heat than 
iron, therefore where a brass fitting screws into iron, the 
joint will be tighter when hot than when cold : consequently 
should there be a leakage it should be stopped by screwing 
the fitting in a little further when cold. In screwing a pipe 
into a valve or other fitting, the wrench should be used on 
the end of the valve into which the pipe is being screwed. 
When the wrench is put on the opposite end, the valve is sub- 
jected to a twisting strain that is very liable to distort and 
pun it. The blow-off valve and other valves about the engine 



lO SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

should be so attached tliat the pressure will be on the under 
side of the valve seat. Then the packing around the valve 
stem can leak only when the valve is open, and may be re- 
newed at any time the valve is shut. A valve should not be 
too tightly closed when cold as expansion due to heating 
will force the valve so hard against its seat as to injure it. 

Starting the Fire. When the fittings are all in place, fill 
the boiler with water, by means of the funnel, until the glass 
easre shows about an inch and one-half of water. This is 
on the assumption that the boiler is level and if. not, allowance 
should be made accordingly. The water will run in faster 
if one of the gage-cocks, the blower or the whistle be 
opened to allow the air to escape. The boiler being filled, 
the funnel may be removed and the filler plug replaced. 
When coal is used as fuel, wood should be used to start the 
fire, the fire-box being kept full until steam begins to show 
on the gage. Then, if it be desired to hasten the rise of 
steam, the blower may be started and coal thrown onto the 
fire. 

Oiling the Engine. While waiting for steam, the dope 
may be removed from the bright work with rags or cotton 
waste, saturated with benzine or kerosene. The oil holes 
and cups are usually filled with grease at the factory to keep 
out cinders and dirt during shipment of the engine. This 
grease should be removed, so that the oil may reach the 
place it is intended to lubricate. All the bearings should be 
oiled, the oil cups being filled with good machine oil. Where 



FITTING UP AND STARTING A NEW ENGINE. II 

the oil box is large enough, it should be filled with a little 
wool or cotton waste in order to keep out the dirt, and to 
retain the oil. Good cylinder oil must be used in the lu- 
bricator or oil pump. 

Starting the Engine Proper. When the gage shows 
about forty pounds of steam, the cylinder cocks should be 
opened and the engine started, the throttle being opened 
gradually so that the water which has condensed and collected 
in the cylinder may haye a chance to escape. The reverse 
lever should be handled as explained elsewhere in this book. 
If the engine does not start when the throttle is opened, pos- 
sibly the governor stem has been screwed down sufficiently 
to shut off the steam. This sometimes occurs in transporta- 
tion. As soon as the engine is running, care should be taken 
to see that the lubricator is started properly. The bearings 
should be felt of to determine any tendency to heat. The 
pump and injector should next be tried to see that they are 
in working order. 

The steam pressure should now be raised to the blowing 
off point, which is usually 130 pounds, to try the pop or 
safety valve. If it does not open at this pressure, pulling 
the lever will probably start it. If not, it is out of adjust- 
ment and should be re-set, as explained elsewhere in this 
book. 

Starting the Traction Parts. When the engine has been 
run a sufficient time to insure everything being in good run- 
ning order (if it be a traction engine), preparations may 



12 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

be made for a trip on the road. To do this, the trunnion-ring 
of the friction-ckitch should be oiled and the shoes adjusted 
to properly engage the rim of the fly-wheel. Any paint that 
may be on the long hub of the arm should be scraped off to 
allow the free movement of the ring, which slides thereon, as 
the clutch is thrown in or out of engagement. All the trac- 
tion gearing should now be greased, and a quantity of oil 
poured into the cannon-bearings. Next the stud of the inter- 
mediate gear, the bevel pinions of the differential gear, and 
the bearings of the steering-roller and hand-wheel shaft 
should be oiled. The steering-chains should be properly 
adjusted as elsewhere explained. 

Caution. A new engine should have close attention for 
the first few days until the bearings become smooth. The 
engine has been run in the testing-room at the factory, and 
it is probable that the bearings are properly adjusted. How- 
ever, they should be felt of at short intervals, and should 
one of them heat to any extent, it will be best to loosen it a 
little. A fast run should not be attempted the first two or 
three trips on the road, but the engine should be allowed 
to run below its normal speed until bearings are smooth and 
the operator becomes accustomed to handling the engine. 
During the first few days, it is necessary to use three or four 
pints of cylinder oil in ten hours in order to keep the valve 
and cylinder well lubricated. Afterwards the amount may be 
lessened, but it is essential that cylinder oil be fed continually. 




CHAPTER 11. 
THE FEED WATER. 

HE feed water demands the constant watch- 
fulness of the engineer. It is his first and 
most important duty to know that there is 
sufficient water in the boiler at all times. If 
he relaxes his attention to it for even a short 
interval, disastrous results are likely to 
follow. A modern traction engine is usually 
fitted with two separate and independent means of feeding 
water to the boiler. By this arrangement, if the boiler feeder 
in use be disabled at any time, the other may be put to 
work without delay. These feeders should receive close 
attention and each be in condition to work at a moment's 
notice. If either fails to work properly at any time, it 
should be repaired immediately. It is essential to use the 
cleanest water obtainable, as dirty water always causes 
trouble. It is a good plan to strain the water as it passes 
into the mounted tank, by placing a cotton grain sack in 
the hole so that it extends to the bottom of the tank. For 
this purpose a cheap sack of coarse open texture is the best. 
The mouth of the bag can be turned over the rim around 
the hole and tied with a string or strap, but a better 
way is to have a hoop that just fits over the bag. It is 

13 



14 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

important to see that the suction hose and connections are 
free from leaks. The pipe nipples, which screw into the 
boiler at the point at which the feed water enters, should be 
examined occasionally, for with some waters they ''lime-up" 
in a remarkably short time. When necessary to shut down 
from lack of water, it should be done while the glass shows 
at least half an inch, as the water-level will fall that much 
when the engine is stopped, and the water in the boiler al- 
lowed to settle. 

What to do when water does not show in glass. If you 
find that the water has been allowed to get below th^ glass 
gage and lower gage cock, leaving the crown-sheet bare, 
when the engine has been standing still for a time, bank the 
fire and leave the engine alone until it cools. If It be 
working when you discover the water is out of the glass, 
the thing to do, is get the front end of the engine up at once. 
Back the traction wheels into ditch or furrow, run the front 
wheels up hill or onto a wood or coal pile, or use any means 
to get the front of the boiler high. If in soft ground there 
may be time to dig holes for the traction wheels, but be 
quick about it. In the meantime keep the engine moving 
in order to slosh the water over the crown-sheet. When you 
have the front end of the engine up, if water shows in the 
glass, start the injector and let it run until the boiler is filled 
to its normal level. If you are unable to get the engine in 
such a position that the water shows in the glass, cover the 
fire with a laver of ashes or earth three or four inches thick. 



THE FEED WATER. , I5 

Do not attempt to pull it out, as stirring it up creates intense 
heat. Having banked the fire, leave the engine alone until 
the steam goes down. By doing this, you have probably 
prevented the fusible plug from melting, or, what is vastly 
more serious, burning the crown-sheet. A crown-sheet that 
has been burnt is greatly weakened, probably "bagged" or 
warped, and the stay-bolts so strained at their threads that 
it is impossible to keep them from leaking. The majority 
of explosions of boilers of the locomotive type are caused 
by low water and the consequent burning of the crown-sheet. 
One experience with low water should be a sufficient lesson 
for all time. 

Since so much depends upon having sufficient water in 
the boiler, the gage-cocks and water-glass, which indicate 
the amount of water, should be kept in first-class order. 

The Gage-Cocks. These cocks are a more reliable 
means of indicating the amount of water in the boiler than 
the water-glass, although not so convenient. The gage- 
cocks, or "try-cocks," as they are sometimes called, should 
be used often enough to prevent them from becoming filled 
with lime and should always be in working order. When- 
ever opened, the steam should be allowed to blow through 
a sufficient time to clean them. They should then be closed 
moderately tight, and then, if they leak, they should be 
opened again to allow any dirt or scale that may have lodged 
on the seat to blow out. It is not well to force a gage-cock 
or other valve shut to stop it from leaking, for probably it 



l6 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

is leaking because a bit of scale is preventing the valve from 
"seating." The forcing simply presses this bit of scale or 
other foreign matter into the seat and spoils the contact 
surfaces so the valve will continue to leak until reground. 
Gage-cocks and other valves on the engine should not be 
closed very tightly when cold, for when heated, the expan- 
sion of the metal will press the valve so tightly against its 
seat as to injure it. 

The Water-Gage. The water-gage should be blown out 
once each day, to clean the glass and prevent the upper and 
lower connections from getting filled with lime or sediment. 
To blow out the lower connection, which is the more liable 
to become clogged, open pet cock and close upper valve. 
Then close lower valve and open upper one, which will 
blow steam through the upper connection and also the 
glass, thereby cleaning it. On returning to the engine 
in the morning, or after dinner, be sure that no one has 
closed the valves of the water-gage during your absence. 
If this has been done, the glass might show plenty of 
water, while in reality, the water in the boiler has been 
reduced to a low level by blowing off or by some other 
cause. A stoppage in the valves, when the engine is running, 
can be detected by the water, which will appear quite still 
instead of moving a little, in consequence of the motion 
of the engine. The water glass should be kept clean, even if 
the other parts of the engine be neglected in this respect. A 
dirty glass indicates that the engineer is careless about one 



THE FEED WATER. • IJ 

of his most important duties. The glass can be cleaned at 
any time by wiping the outside and blowing steam 
through the inside. It is only necessary, in wiping, to see 
that it is not scratched by sand or the like, for scratches are 
likely to cause it to break. An old glass with a coating on 
the inside that steam will not blow out, may be cleaned by 
removing it from the connections and running a piece of 
waste or cloth through it with a stick. Touching a glass on 
the inside with a piece of metal of any kind is almost sure 
to scratch it so that it will crack when the steam is turned on. 

Packing the Watcr-Glass. The best method of packing 
the water glass is by means of the rubber gaskets made for 
the purpose. These may be purchased for a few cents. 
Candle wicking, hemp or asbestos is sometimes used, but 
any of these packings is liable to become displaced and cause 
trouble. The author has in mind a case in which a crown 
sheet was badly burnt on account of the glass not showing 
the true level of the water in the boiler, because the candle 
wicking, with which it was packed, was forced, by the tight- 
ening of the packing-nut, over the lower end of the glass, 
practically shutting off the water. 

Broken Water-Glass. In case the water glass breaks 
when the boiler is under pressure, shut both valves to stop 
the escape of steam and water. The engine can be run by 
gage-cocks until a new glass may be obtained. If a new 
glass be at hand, it may be put in at once, but care should 
be taken to heat it gradually, for if the steam be turned on 
suddenly, it will break. 



l8 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

Injectors. The injector has, of late years, reached such 
a state of perfection as to make it the most convenient of 
all the types of boiler feeders. Although economical in 
itself, it does not equal, in economy, a pump used in connec- 
tion with a heater. The question naturally arises : if it be 
economy to use a heater in connection with the pump, why 
not with the injector as well? Were the feed water from the 
injector piped through the heater, but little would be gained 
thereby, because the injector delivers water so hot, that it 
would absorl) but little additional heat during its passage 
through the heater. Consequently, the pump, with heater, 
is the more economical because it utilizes heat from the 
engine exhaust (which would otherwise be wasted), to heat 
the water, while the injector heats it by means of live steam 
taken from the boiler. It is not usual, therefore, to pipe the 
feed water from an injector through a heater. 

To Start the ''Penherthy" Injector. With pressure under 
sixty-five pounds, the valve in the suction pipe should be 
opened one turn, the steam valve may then be opened wide. 
The injector will probably start off at once, but should water 
run from the overflow, the suction valve should be slowly 
throttled until it "picks up." If hot steam and water issue 
from the overflow, the suction should be opened wider. A 
little practice will enable one to set the valve at any pressure, 
so that it is simply necessary to turn on the steam to start 
the injector. At a pressure of sixty-five pounds or over, the 
water supply valve may be opened wide, but it is better 
partly to close it, as the injector will deliver hotter water 



THE FEED WATER. 



19 



STEAia 



when the supply is throttled. The injector must be regulated 
by the suction valve, and not by attempting to regulate it by 
the steam valve. The "Penberthy" admits of considerable 
steam variation. At thirty-five pounds steam pressure, the 
valve in suction may be opened as wide as it will stand and 
steam can rise to over one hundred pounds without further 
adjusting. 

JVhat to do zvhcn the Injector Fails to Work. See that 
the suction hose and connections are tight. The delivery 
pipe may be "limed up" where it enters the boiler. A leaky 
check valve will keep the injector so hot as to prevent it 
from "picking up" water. Dirt may be lodged in the 

chamber where jets "R" and 
"S" meet, or in the jet "Y," 
the drill holes or the m.'^in 
passage way. The jets may 
be coated with lime, and if 
so, they should be soaked in 
a solution composed of one 
part of muriatic acid to ten 
parts of water. Occasionally 
soak the whole injector. Do 
not expect an injector to 
w^ork well, especially at high 
FIG. 2. pressure, if the tank be full 

SECTIONAL VIEW OF INJECTOR, of dirt and rubbish. Some- 
times an injector will work well for a long time, and then 
begin to drizzle at the overflow under the same pressures 




20 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

at which it once worked well. This indicates that the pas- 
sage-ways in jets are either worn or are contracted with Hme. 
If removing the hme does not remedy the trouble, the over- 
flow valve may leak. To regrind it, remove cap *'Z" and 
spread a little flour of emery, mixed with oil or soap, between 
the valve 'T" and its seat. Then with a screw driver, turn 
valve 'T" back and forth, which will grind it to a seat. If 
the Injector be not improved, it is safe to conclude that some 
of the jets are worn and must be renewed. These are sold 
separately, and are listed in threshermen's supply catalogs. 
If in doubt as to which jet is at fault, procure all of them and 
try one after another until the injector works properly. Any 
unused jets may be returned. 

Independent Pumps. This is the name given to pumps 
for feeding" a boiler, which are operated independently of the 
engine. They are, in fact, small engines in themselves, con- 
nected directly to double-acting pump plungers. An inde- 
pendent pump can be run whether the engine is running or 
not, but as the heater is effective only when the engine is 
running, it is best, on boilers having both pump and injector 
to use the injector when the engine is not running. The 
Marsh pump has an exhaust valve for turning the exhaust 
of the pump in with the feed water. This, of course, heats 
the feed water and renders the pump more economical. If, 
for any reason, it is desired to use the pump when the engine 
is not running, the exhaust should be turned in, to prevent 
putting cold water into the boiler. At other times, however, 



THE FEED WATER. 21 

we advise engineers to allow the pump to exhaust into tlie 
air. The most of the trouble with these pumps is due to 
insufficient lubrication, and the successful operators use 
plenty of cylinder oil. If the exhaust be turned in at all 
times, this cylinder oil is carried into the boiler where it 
accumulates, in some cases in sufficient quantities to render 
it dangerous to the plates of the boiler. Consequently, for 
this reason and also because the pump is more easily ''kept 
up" when exhausting in the air, we do not advise turning 
the exhaust into the feed water. 

Starting the ''Marsli' Pump. Before attaching the lubri- 
cator, it is a good plan to pour some cylinder oil into the 
pipe. To start the pump, first see that the valve in the feed 
pipe, between the check valve and the boiler, is open, and 
that the exhaust lever is thrown towards the steam end of 
the pump. The steam may now be turned on, and if the 
piston rod does not move back and forth, tap the starter-pins 
very lightly. It is well to run the pump without water until 
thoroughly oiled, but as soon as it is running smoothly, the 
suction may be opened. Opening the cock with the thread 
for attaching the sprinkling hose or the smiall air-cock in the 
water chamber will aid the pump in ''picking up'' water. 

When the Pump Will Not Start, i. If the pump does 
not start when steam is turned on, push the starter-pins 
alternately, to see if the valve moves easily back and forth. 
If the valve sticks, do not hammiCr the starter-pins or force 
them too hard, but remove the valve in order to locate the 



22 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

trouble. This is done by removing- the steam chest heads 
through which the starter-pins pass, and unscrewing the 
valve, which is done by holding one end while unscrewing 
the other, by means of the two special socket wrenches fur- 
nished for the purpose. If the pump has been idle for a 
time, the valve may be rusty or gummy, in which case it 
should be cleaned with kerosene oil. Before replacing the 
caps, push the valve back and forth as far as it will go and 
see that it is perfectly free. Also see that the starter-pins 
are free and are not stuck by tight packing or have become 
loosened. Pull them out as far as they will go. 2. The 
steam pipe may be obstructed so that the pump does not re- 
ceive a sufficient supply of steam. A screen gasket is placed 
in the steam pipe union in order to prevent scale or chips, 
in a newly connected pipe, from reaching the pump. If 
steam does not reach the pump, this screen should be ex- 
amJned as it may be partly or entirely clogged. AVhen the 
pipe has been thoroughly blown out, this screen gasket may 
be removed and a plain rubber or lead gasket used. 3. Re- 
move the cylinder heads and see that the piston moves freely, 
and that the nut on the water end of the piston rod is prop- 
erly tightened. This nut may have worked partly or entirely 
of:, thus preventing a complete stroke. 4. Remove the 
steam chest and see that the small ''trip" holes near the steam 
chest and the corresponding holes in the steam cylinder are 
open. If the pump has been idle for a time, these holes 
are liable to have become stopped with rust. Before 



THE FEED WATER. 



23 



replacing the steam chest, see that the packmg Is In good 
order. 5 If the pump has been in use some time, or has 
not been sufficiently oiled, the valve may have become worn 
and leaky. This is not so likely to occur on the "C" size, as 
on the smaller pumps. When it does happen, the remedy is 
a new valve and steam chest. 




Steam End 



Water End 



FIG. 3. SECTIONAL VIEW OF MARSH PUMP. 

When the Pump will not Lift Water. If the pump runs 
all right when steam is turned on, but will not "pick up" 
water, opening the drain cock in the boiler feed pipe will 
relieve the pressure on the discharge valves, i. See that the 
suction hose and its connections are free from leaks and 
that the screen is not covered with rags, waste, leaves or the 



24 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

like. If this hose has been in use for some time, see that 
it is sufficiently firm not .to collapse or flatten, and that its 
rubber lining has not become loosened so as to choke or stop 
the water supply. 2. Remove the air chamber and look for 
dirt under the water valves. 3. If the pump has been in 
use for a time the w^ater-piston packing may leak. Where 
dirty water is used, this packing must be frequently renewed. 
Directions for re-packing are given below. 

JJlicn the Pump almost stops after lifting water, the 
trouble is in the delivery or feed pipe. Opening the cock 
in this pipe will relieve the pressure and allow the pump to 
run faster. Possibly the angle valve near the boiler has 
been left closed. The check valve in the feed pipe should 
be examined, for which purpose the angle valve, between 
it and the boiler, can be closed. If nothing be found, the 
stem should be removed from this angle valve, and probably 
the pipe will be found nearly filled with lime at the point 
at which it enters the boiler. This may be cleaned by 
driving a bolt into it. Of course, the angle valve stem 
can only be removed when the boiler is cold. 

Packing tJie Pump. The successful operation of this 
pump depends very much upon the manner in which it is 
packed. In renev/ing the water piston packing, do not com- 
press the packing too much. It should be reduced, if too 
thick. When properly packed, the piston may be readily 
moved by hand. The nut on the end of the piston rod 
should be tightened to bring the follower to place. The 



THE FEED WATER. 



25 



packing between the steam chest and the cylinder should be 
made of heavy manilla paper or light rubber, and must be 
patterned from the planed surface top of the steam cylinder, 
(not the lower part of , the chest), and all holes must be care- 
fully duplicated, so that the drilled holes at each end are 
wholly unobstructed at their points of register with the cor- 
responding holes in the chest. The packing under the valve 
plate must be patterned from the faced top of water cylin- 
der, and the packing oz'cr the valve plate from the bottom 
face of the air chamber. The steam cylinder head must not 
be packed with anything thicker than heavy paper or the 
thinnest rubber. If a thick gasket be used, the piston will 
overrun the ports, and its operation be interfered with. 

Check-Valves. A check-valve allows the water or other 
fluid to flow in one direction, by raising the valve from 
its seat, but when water attempts to "back up," or flow in 

the opposite direction, 
the valve prevents this 
by closing. With any 
style of boiler-feeder, a 
check-valve is placed in 
the feed-pipe, and usual- 
ly near the boiler. Be- 
tween the check-valve 
and boiler Is placed a 
globe or angle valve 
which may be closed, allowing the check valve to be opened 




FIG. 4, 
SECTIONAL VIEW OF CHECK-VALVE. 



26 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

when the boiler is under steam pressure. If the pump or 
injector shows, by heat or other indications, that water and 
steam are "backing- up" through the feed pipes from the 
boiler, it indicates that the check-valve is not actin<r. When 
the valve ''sticks'' and will not close, a very slight tap may 
cause it to ''seat," but if this does not, close the valve be- 
tween it and boiler, then take off the cap and remove dirt 
or scale that may be preventing it from closing tightly. If 
no foreign matter be found, examine the valve and seat to 
determine if the contact surfaces be perfect. If scale be 
found adhering to either, it should be removed, but if it be 
"pitted," regrinding is necessary. Although a slight tap 
will often cause a check-valve to seat, it is poor practice to 
constantly or violently hammer the valve, as the seat may be 
distorted, and the entire valve ruined thereby. Many valves 
are also distorted and ruined because a wrench has been used 
on one end while screwing a pipe into the other. Many 
valves are burst during cold Vv^eather by frost. To prevent 
this, the angle valve near boiler must be closed and the 
check-valve and pipe drained. 

Regrindnig Clicck-Valvcs. Many engineers discard leaky 
valves as worthless, in ignorance of the ease with which 
they may be re-ground. The svv^ing check is easily re-ground 
without disconnecting it from the pipe. To regrind, unscrew 
angle plug, put a little flour of emery, mixed with oil or 
soap, on the bottom of valve and turn it back and forth 
with a screw driver until the contact surfaces are perfect. 



THE FEED WATER. 



2J 



Feed-Water Heaters. A feed-water heater heats the feed 
water deHvered by the pump, by passing it through pipes 
surrounded by exhaust steam from the engine. In this way, 
the feed water carries into the boiler the heat it has absorbed 
from the exhaust steam, and which would otherwise be 
wasted. The interior of the **Case" heater is shown in the 
accompanying sectional view. Tubes (A), (three or more 
in number), are tightly calked in the inner heads (B). Gas 
pipes (C) pass 'through the tubes, their ends being held in 
place by sockets cast on the outer heads. The outer heads 
are secured by four stud bolts, which screw into the heater 



^■■y-V'//y/Y':/w/-y. 'M»/y:'~ 



bt^z: 







•••■•■■ -:■■■■-.—" 



'. :.;•.■■..:•• •••■••■•■•-•••"" .:..."~" 




FIG. 5. SECTIONAL VIEW OF CASE HEATER. 

body, and are made tight by gaskets. The exhaust from 
the engine enters the heater at E, surrounding the tubes, 
and passing out at F. The water from the pump enters 
through the head at D, passes out at the other end and 
into the pipe G to the boiler. In going through the heater, 
the water is obliged to pass through the annular spaces, 
formed by the inside of tubes and the outside of gas pipes, 
in films about one-eighth of an inch thick. Two cocks 
are screwed into the bottom of the heater, one of which 



28 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

drains the steam space and the other the water space. The 
steam space may be drained before starting the engine, in 
order to prevent water from being thrown from the smoke 
stack. Both water and steam spaces must be drained in 
cold weather, to prevent freezing. 

Testing and Repairing the Heater. If you suspect that 
the heater leaks, it may be tested by opening cock farthest 
from the end, letting all the condensed exhaust escape. 
Next start the pump, but let the engine stand still. If water 
issues from this cock, it shows that the heater leaks. Re- 
pairs are easily made by removing the heads. The tubes 
may be tightened, or renewed, if necessary, in exactly the 
same manner as those in the boiler. 



CHAPTER III. 



FIRING WITH A^ARIOUS FUELS. 




O maintain a uniform steam pressure with any 
'■^ kind of fuel, the draft should be sufficient 
and the fire should be supplied with air from 
below. No cold air should be allowed to 
get to the tubes except by passing through 
live coals that may ignite fresh fuel. The 
cone screen in the stack should be straight 
and the exhaust nozzle should be pointed straight with the 
stack. This latter is of great importance. 

With any kind of fuel, the ash pan must not be allowed 
to fill up, or warped and melted grates are sure to result. 
There is no excuse for allowing the ash pan to fill up, and 
a good engineer never permits it to do so. 

Firing zvifh Coal. Keep the grates well covered, but with 
as thin a fire as possible. Do not throw in large lumps of 
coal or put in very much at a time. A thin fire lightly and 
frequently renewed is the most economical. The engine 
should be allowed to blow^ off once a day to see if the steam 
gage and pop valve agree, but if the pop valve frequently 
opens, it is an indication that the fireman is either careless 
or unable to control his fire. 

^he best way to check the rise of steam is to start the 

29 



30 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

injector, but if the boiler be too full, the damper may be 
closed. Another way is to open the fire door an inch, 
leaving the damper open, but the door should never be held 
open more than this amount. This will do no harm to tubes 
or boiler, but never open the door and close the damper at 
the same tim^e, when the engine is running. When the 
engine is to be shut down for any length of time the smoke- 
box door may be opened to check the fire. 

Some grades of coal will form clinkers that cover the 
grates and shut off the air supply. These must be kept 
out by removing through the fire door, but do not use the 
poker when it can be avoided, or keep the door open longer 
than is necessary. When troubled with clinkers, make it a 
point to clean the fire at noon or at any time the engine may 
be stopped. The tubes should be cleaned at least once a 
day. 

One or two of the bricks for straw burners can be used 
to advantage in burning coal. They make better combustion 
with poor coal, render the fire easier to control and by main- 
taining" a more uniform heat in the fire-box, are easier on the 
boiler. 

Firing zm'fh Wood. The manner of firing with wood 
depends entirely upon the fuel, and must be learned by ex- 
perience. When the wood is soft, or the sticks small or 
crooked, it will be necessary to lay the pieces as compactly 
as possible, and keep the fire-box full all th.e time. Straight, 
heavy sticks of hardwood, on the other hand, must be placed 



FIRING WITH VARIOUS FUELS. 3 1 

SO that the flames can pass freely between them. The rear 
draft door should be opened wide and the front one opened 
only enough to admit sufficient air. See that the front end 
of the grates (next to the tube sheet) is kept well covered. 
If cold air be allowed to pass through to the tubes at this 
point, the draft will be destroyed. To get satisfactory results, 
it is often necessary to cover the front end of the grates, for 
a space of eight inches, with a ''dead-plate." A wood fire 
requires an occasional "knocking-down," but as with coal it 
is a good plan not to use the poker more than is absolutely 
necessary. In "knocking-down" do not disturb the hot 
coals on the grates. In firing with wood it is advisable to 
keep the screen in the smoke-stack down as there is more 
danger of setting fire with wood than with coal. 

Firing with Straw. Modern "Case" straw burning en- 
gines are all of the direct flue type. They are the same as 
the coal burners, except that they are fitted with straw 
grates, dead-plates, a brick arch and a straw chute and the 
boiler is lagged. (See Fig. 6.) Any ''Case" side-crank 
spring-mounted engine, except the Nine-Horse, can be made 
to burn straw by making these changes. 

When firing with straw, keep the chute full all the time, 
so that no cold air can get in on top of the fire. Take small 
forkfuls and let each bunch of straw push the preceding one 
into the fire. Occasionally turn the fork over and run it in 
below the straw in the chute to break down and level up the 
fire. Three grates, spaced equally across the fire bcic, are 



32 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



better than more. Keep about fifteen inches of the front of 
the ash pan clean, to allow plenty of draft, but let ashes 



WAGON lOP 




FIG. 6. SECTIONAL VIEW OF FIRE BOX FOR BURNING STRAW. 

fill Up in the rear part. Four bricks must be used. Keep 
rear draft door shut. 

The flame coming over the brick arch as seen through 
the peep hole should appear white hot, and should be con- 
tinuous and not be stopped or checked each time the straw is 
pushed in, as will be the case if firing- be too heavy or too 
much be put in at a time. Sometimes straw, especially 
when damp, is pulled over against the ends of the tubes. 
This may be scraped off with the poker, through the peep- 
hole. The tubes should be cleaned once a day. 



FIRING \yiTH VARIOUS FUELS. 33 

The draft should be strong enough to make the fire burn 
freely and at a white heat. It may be necessary to reduce 
the exhaust nozzle to get the proper draft, but it should 
never be reduced more than is necessary, as back pressure 
reduces the power of the engine. If unburnt straw be seen 
coming out of the smoke-stack, it shows the exhaust nozzle 
is too small. Do not expect the engine to steam well when 
the front end of the boiler is low. The engine should be level 
or a little high in front. If the engine has been steamed up 
for some time v/ithout running, the screen in the smoke- 
stack may be so filled up as to seriously interfere with the 
draft. 

Exhaust Nozzles. Case engines are equipped with ex- 
haust nozzles as follows : The Nine-.Horse power engines 
have exhaust elbows with one and one-half inch opening, 
and brass nozzles for reducing this to one and one-quarter, 
or one and one-eighth inches. The Twelve-Horse power 
engines have exhaust elbows with one and one-half inch 
opening, and nozzles for reducing this to one and three- 
eighths, or one and one-qviarter inches. The Fifteen and 
Twenty-Horse power engines have exhaust elbows with 
one and three-quarter inch openings, and brass nozzles for 
reducing this to one and one-half or one and one-quarter 
inches. The Twenty-five Horse power engines have exhaust 
elbows with two and one-quarter inch opening, and brass 
nozzles for reducing this to one and three-quarter or one 
and one-half inches. 




o 
o 

t— I 
H 

< 

H 



I— I 




CHAPTER IV. 

LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS. 

EEP the bearings of the engine well oiled if 
you would have it last and not cause trouble. 
By "well oiled" is not meant that it should 
be ''swimming" in oil, but that its bearings 
should be always lubricated. It does not 
take very much good oil to keep a bearing 
properly lubricated, but you should apply it 
often and be sure that it reaches the place intended. Many 
of the oils now on the market are largely adulterated with 
rosin and paraffine, and, though having- an excellent appear- 
ance, have poor lubricating qualities, are gummy and dry 
up in a short time. The oil-boxes on the crank-shaft bear- 
ings, and wherever possible elsewhere, should be filled with 
wool or cotton waste to retain the oil and keep out sand and 
grit. The covers of these oil boxes should be kept closed. 

Cylinder Lubrication. Use a good quality of Valve or 
Cylinder Oil in the lubricator or the oil-pump, as it is very 
important that the piston and valve should be well lubricated 
with an oil that will stand the high temperatures of the steam. 
Do not imagine that a large quantity of cheap oil will do 
in the cylinder. Nothing but first-class cylinder oil will 
answer, and it must be used in sufficient quantities. Cylin- 



35 



36 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

der oil is quite thick, especially in cold weather, and it is 
much easier to fill the lubricators if the oil be warmed and 
the cups heated by blowing a little steam through them. An 
expert is often called to an engine because of the valve being 
''off'' when the trouble is only poor cylinder lubrication. 

Hard Oil has many qualities to recommend it. It stays 
on the bearing, and as it wears well, a little of it will go a 
long way. The usual method of applying hard oil is by 
means of compression cups, of which the one used on the 
cross-head is an example. Each time the engine is stopped, 
the cup should be turned to take up the ''slack" and force in 
a little grease. 

Approximate Cost of Oils. The price of oil varies so 
greatly that no specific figures can be given. However, it 
may be stated that good lubricating oil cannot be purchased 
in quantities of five- or ten-gallon lots at less than twenty-five 
cents per gallon, while cylinder-oil, in like quantities, cannot 
be purchased ordinarily at less than fifty cents per gallon. 
These are minimum figures, and in localities where commod- 
ities in general are high, the retail prices of good oils may be 
twice as high as those quoted, or even more. 

The "Ideal" Spring Grease Cup. This is a compression 
cup in which the hard oil is forced out by a plunger pressed 
down by a spring. The action of the spring is limited by a 
thumb screw so that only the desired amount of grease will 
be fed. This cup is used on the crank-pin of all Case engines. 
To fill, raise the plunger by screwing down the thumb nut as 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS. 



37 



PtUMfififT- 



CtOOY- 




SHANr 



FfeeuLATiNCi 
ocnew 



far as it will go. Then remove the cap, fill the cup with 
grease and replace the cap. Unscrewing the thumb nut will 
cause the spring to force some of the grease down to the 
journal. The size of the hole through the shank can be 

adjusted by the regulating screw, 
to feed the required amount of 
grease. The hole in the screw 
is in line with the slot in its head. 
If it be desired to stop the flow 
of grease, turn the thumb nut 
down to the cap which will re- 
lieve the spring- of tension. If 
the plunger turns when screw- 
ing the thumb nut, it may be 
held by the knurled head of the 
screw. 
To Attach Oil Pump to ''Case" Engines. The body of 
the pump is attached to the steam chest by a stud bolt, which 
is located one inch from the top of the chest, and one and 
three-quarter inches from the back of the chest cover flange. 
When the hole for the stud bolt is drilled it must be tapped 
so that the five-eighth inch stud bolt will screw in steam- 
tight. The rod for operating the ratchet may be attached to 
the rocker-arm of any "Case" simple engine. To locate the 
hole for the shoulder-bolt in the rocker-arm. measure five 
Inches below the center of rocker-arm bearing, and one-half 
inch from the edge of the arm. This hole should be three- 



FIG. 8. 

sectional view of 
''ideal'' cup. 



38 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



eighths inch in diameter. Compound engines, (excepting 
the 25 H. P.), have a sHde in place of the rocker-arm, and 
on these engines the ratchet-rod is attached to the 

eccentric-rod by means of a 
clamp, provided for this pur- 
pose. On portable engines, 
the ratchet-rod must be at- 
tached to the valve slide, the 
three-eighth inch hole for 
the shoulder bolt being lo- 
cated two' and one-half 




00 



m^ 



FIG. 9. OIL PUMP ATTACHED, i^^chcs from the top and 
seven-eighths inch from the front edge of the slide. After the 
pump body is attached, the ratchet-rod may be placed in posi- 
tion, one end being on the shoulder bolt of the rocker-arm or 
clamp, an^ the other passing through the knuckle-joint on the 
sliding ratchet-arm. Having connected the ratchet-rod, screw 
the gravity check valve into the hole in the throttle, using a 
bushing to bring it to the right size. The soft one-quarter 
inch tubing may be bent to bring its ends in proper position 
in order to make the connections at the unions. 

Instead of placing the oil pump on the steam chest, it may 
be attached to the cylinder flange of the engine frame. To 
do this, one of the studs must be replaced by another of suf- 
ficient length to take the lug on the bottom of the pump body. 
This avoids the necessity of boring a hole into the steam 
chest; but in all cases, it is best to have the pump-body rest 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS. 



39 



on the steam chest, for by this method, the oil is kept warm 
and fluid in cold weather. 

To Attach the ''Szvift'" Lubricator. The cylinder-oil for 
Inbricatinsr the cylinder and the valve should be introduced 
into the steam-pipe and if possible in such a manner that 
the oil passes through the throttle and the governor thus 
lubricating them. The lubricators have a little brass pipe 
extending beyond the shank as shown in the cut at H. This 
pipe discharges the oil and must extend into the interior of 
the steam-pipe or the lubricator will not work. If lost out or 
injured, it must be replaced. In case the lubricator does not 
work properly, examine this pipe. 

To Operate ''Szvift" Lubricator. 
Close valves E and G, remove cap F 
and fill the oil reservoir full of oil to 
the very top. Replace cap F. The 
bright plate that show^s the sight feed 
should be completely covered with oil. 
Now open valve E about one-half 
turn, then open valve G very carefully 
''swift'' lubricator, and drops of water will commence to 
roll down over the bright plate ; avoid opening too wide, as 
a stream could be run over the plate and the oil wasted. 
When the oil is nearly exhausted from the cup, water com- 
mences to show at the bottom of glass D, and gradually 
rises until it reaches the lower edge of the bright plate. The 
cup should then be refilled. To do this, close valves E and 




FIG. lO. 



40 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

G, open the drain and remove cap F to drain the water, then 
close I and proceed as above. When the engine is shut down, 
close valve G. 

When Lubricator Fails to Work. If the Lubricator 
should become clogged from impurities in the oil, remove 
cap F and glass D, then open valves G and E, and the 
passages will be cleaned by steam pressure. In blowing 
remove cap F and glass D, then open valves G and E, and 
the passages will be cleaned by steam pressure. In blowing 
live steam through the Lubricator to clean out the passages, 
always take off the nut D holding the sight feed glass before 
doing so. for if this be not done, the steam would heat the 
glass and render it liable to break when the oil comes in con- 
tact with it. Many cups are ruined by two causes, viz : By 
freezing and by straining. In cold weather the cups should 
be drained before leaving the engine. The valve E should 
be slightly opened, except when filling, for if left closed, the 
expansion of cold oil having no relief will strain the cup. 

The little bright plate tha.t shows the sight feed drops 
should be kept clean and bright by an occasional wiping with 
a little silver polish ; if this be not done, it becomes tarnished 
and does not show the feed properly. When a glass breaks, 
if an extra one be not at hand, a coin may be put in and the 
cup run "blind feed" until a new one is procured. A quarter 
is the right size for the large lubricator and a five-cent piece 
for the one on the pump. 

Packing. The nut that holds the sight-feed glass must 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS. 4I 

not be screwed up too tightly. If screwing up moderately 
tight does not stop leakage, put in new gaskets on both sides 
of the glass. In repacking the sight-feed glass, first remove 
every particle of the old packing. Two kinds of gaskets 
are furnished. Put a soft rubber one next to the glass on 
both sides and a red fibre one next to the nut. Usually this 
nut can be screwed up with the fingers tight enough to pre- 
vent leaking. The valve stems may be packed with Italian 
hemp or candle wicking. 

Adjustment of Bearings. In adjusting the bearings of 
the engine, take up just a little of the lost motion at a time, 
until the pounding is stopped. Do not attempt to take it 
all out at once, for in so doing there is risk of heating and 
cutting. The young engineer often finds it difficult to locate 
a "pound" in an engine, but an experienced man can 
usually tell where it is by taking hold of the connecting-rod 
or eccentric-rod as the engine runs. A good plan, and one 
that will often show where the trouble lies, is to have a man 
take hold of the fly-wheel and turn it an inch or so back and 
forth. By watching the crank-box, cross-head, main bear- 
ings and the reverse, any lost motion can be seen. 

The Connecting-Rod Brasses are ed justed by loosening 
the jam nut at the bottom and turning the head of the bolt, 
which will raise the wedge, and crowd the two halves of the 
box together. When the halves of the brasses touch, they 
must be taken out and filed. To take out the brasses for 
filing, remove the connecting-rod in the following manner: 



42 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

Turn the engine so that tlie cross-head pin comes opposite 
the hole in the engine frame nearest the crank. Take off 
the washer on the crank pin and remove the grease cup and 
the nut from the cross-head pin. Drive the cross-head pin 
but with a wood block, turn the engine on rear dead center, 
and the connecting-rod may be Hfted off. Set the wedges 
down as far as they will go, and take out the adjusting bolts. 




FIG. II. THE CONNECTING-ROD. 

The wedge and half of the box next to it may be driven out 
from the inner side with a wood block. Before taking off 
the connecting-rod, make a scratch across the wedges and 
the rod end, so that in putting tliem back the wedge may be 
set in the same position as before. 

As the pressure is nearly all endwise on the rod, the holes 
in the brasses will tend to wear in an oval shape, so that 
when the boxes are tightened, they will bind at the top and 
bottom, causing them to heat, yAi'iIq they still pound endwise. 
To obviate this difficulty, the boxes should be "relieved" at 
the top and the bottom by filing with a half-round file. They 
should not touch the pin for a distance of one-half to three- 
quarters of an inch each side of the joint. In time, the 
brasses will have worn so much that the wedge strikes against 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS. 43 

the top. Shims made of sheet-iron of the proper thickness 
must now be inserted. These should be put in on both sides 
of the brasses so as to not change the length of the rod, and 
make it necessary to re-divide the clearance. 

It is best to take off the connecting-rod when the engine 
is cold ; if it be taken off when the boiler is under steam pres- 
sure, and the throttle should accidentally be left open, or 
should leak, the piston may be driven through the cylinder 
with force enough to do serious damage. 

To Divide the Clearance. The clearance of an engine 
is the cubical contents of the port, from the face of the valve 
to the cylinder, including the space between the piston and 
the cylinder head when the engine is on dead-center. To 
divide the clearance, loosen the clamp bolt and the jam nut 
on the piston rod and unscrew the rod from the cross-head 
until the piston strikes the cylinder-head as the crank passes 
the head dead-center ; then screw in the rod until the piston 
strikes the other cylinder head as the engine passes the other 
dead-center carefully counting the number of turns of the 
rod. Now unscrew the rod half the number of turns counted 
and the clearance will be divided. Tighten the clamp bolt 
and the jam nut. 

The Shoes of the Cross-Head are adjusted by loosening 
the four cap screws, (E), and screwing up the four set 
screws, (F), to force the shoes against the guides. This 
will leave a space between the shoes and cross-head into 
which sheet-iron shims should be inserted. If these shims 



44 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



be of the right thickness to just fill the space, loosening the 
set-screws and tightening the cap-screws will leave the shoes 
free to run and with no lost motion. When the engine runs 
"under," as in threshing, the wear is mostly on the upper 




FIG. 12. THE CROSS-HEAD. 

shoe and guide, and when engine runs "over," as on the road, 
the wear is nearly all on the lower shoe and guide. Usually 
the wear being nearly the same on both, they should be set 
out equally. 

The Main Bearings are adjusted by removing paper 
liners. Take out only a little at a time. If one of the bear- 
ings heats and does not cool when the nuts are loosened, 
remove the cap and clean out any grit or dirt that may be 
found. If the babbitt be rough and torn up, it should be 
scraped smooth. It is well to "relieve" the main bearings a 
little at their edges, as explained for the connecting-rod 
brasses. When the paper liners have all been removed, and 
the shaft has lost motion, the boxes will require re-babbitt- 



LUBRICATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF BEARINGS. 45 

ing. No one but a good mechanic, skilled in this work should 
undertake to babbitt the main bearings. The difficulty lies 
in the alignment, which must be perfect, before the babbitt 
is poured. The babbitt should be of the best quality. 

The Eccentric Strap is tightened by removing the paper 
liners. When the halves come together, they should be 
taken to a machine shop and a little planed off. The eccen- 
tric rod brasses and valve rod brasses on engines having 
rocker-arms are taken up by driving down the wedges or 
keys. 



GAGE COCK 



STOP COCK CYLINDER COCK 

LEVER HANDLE 




!!h^ 



^m 





RETURN BEND . PLUG bIBB COCK AIR COCK 






STREET ELBOVV COUPLING NIPPLE BUSHING 







UNION ELBOW TEE REDUCER 





"ol 




W 



ANGLE VALVE 



GLOBE VALVE STOP COCK 

FIG. 13. ENGINE FITTINGS. 



CHAPTER \' 




HANDLING THE ENGINE. 

K' EFORE starting the engine always see that 
the cylinder cocks are open. Then if the 
crank pin be in the right position (that is, 
past the dead center in the direction in which 
the engine is to run), open the throttle just 
enough so the crank pin will pass the next 
center. After a few revolutions, gradually 
increase the throttle opening until the governor controls the 
speed. If the crank pin be not in the right position to start, 
take the throttle-lever in one hand and the reverse lever in 
the other. Admit a little steam into the cylinder, reverse, and 
then before the engine can pass that center throw the reverse 
lever back, and the engine will start. Occasionally an engine 
will stop on the exact dead-center, and when this occurs it 
is necessary to turn it off by taking hold of the fly-wheel. 
If on the road, releasing the friction clutch will generally 
turn the engine off center because the strain on the gearing 
is released. 

Never start the engine suddenly. Take sufficient time 
to allow the water in the cylinder to escape through the cylin- 
der-cocks instead of forcing it through the exhaust. If the 
engine be working in the belt, a sudden start is very liable 

47 



48 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

to throw off the main belt ; if traveling, a sudden start throws 
unnecessary strain on the gearing and the connections be- 
tween the engine and its load. When the engine has been 
running a sufficient time to allow any water that may be in 
the cylinder to escape, cylinder-cocks may be closed. When 
the engine is at work leave the throttle wide open, allowing 
the governor to control the speed. 

An engine provided with a friction clutch is much easier 
handled when traveling than one without, but the clutch is 
seldom used by a good engineer. If used continually it re- 
quires attention to keep it adjusted. 

Steering. An engine cannot be properly guided unless 
the steering-chains are correctly adjusted. If too tight they 
cause the steering-wheel to turn hard, while if too loose, 
the guiding is much more difficult and the control imcertain. 
The chains are properly adjusted when one turn of the steer- 
ing-wheel takes up the slack. Double nuts are used on the 
eye bolts connecting the chains to front axle and these should 
be jammed together so that there is no liability of their com- 
ing off. A weak steering-chain is dangerous and if one has 
been broken by running into something, or from any other 
cause, it should not be allowed to go indefinitely, temporarily 
repaired with a bolt or piece of wire, but should be fixed so 
that it is as strong as ever. 

In guiding an engine many make the mistake of turning 
the steering- v/heel too much. It is well to remember that 
a turn in one direction always means a turn in the opposite 



HANDLING THE ENGINE. 49 

direction. Theoretically, the engine would follow a smooth 
straight road without turning the wheel at all, but in prac- 
tice it is always necessary to turn it a little. It is impor- 
tant to keep your eye on the front wheels of the engine. 

Setting the Engine. A little practice is necessary to 
enable the operator to quickly line and set the engine, but this 
is acquired by most men in time. On a calm day the engine 
and the separator should be "dead in line," that is, in such a 
position that a line drawn through the edges of the fly-wheel 
rim would pass through the edge of the separator cylinder- 
pulley rim on the same side, and a line drawn through the 
edges of the cylinder-pulley rim would pass through the 
edge of the fly-wheel rim on the same side. Allowance for 
the wind must be made, a heavy side wind requiring a set- 
ting of the engine sometimes as much as two feet out of 
line. When the rig has been set during a calm and a wind 
comes up, it is not necessary to stop, throw the belt and re- 
set the engine in order to make the belt run on the pulley. 
Take a jack-screw or lifting- jack, set it obliquely under the 
front axle of the engine and move it in the direction the 
wind is blowing until the belt runs properly on the fly-wheel. 
Move the front end of the separator in the same manner 
until the belt runs properly on the cylinder pulley. If trouble 
be experienced in getting the engine in line, this method may 
be used to correct the alignment until practice enables the 
operator to set the engine so that the belt will run in the 
center of both pulleys. This ''jacking over" of the front 



50 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESH IjNG. 

of the eng^ine or of the separator should be clone while the 
belt is running. The friction-clutch should always be used 
in tightening and in backing the engine into the belt. 

Ascending Hills. In coming to a steep hill the engineer 
should see that he has about the right amount of water in 
the boiler, that is, enough to show two inches in the glass 
when the boiler is level. With the boiler too full there may 
be danger of priming, which should be especially avoided on 
a hill. It is also necessary to exercise judgment in regard 
to the fire. It should be hot enough to insure sufficient steam 
pressure to climb the hill without stopping. On the contrary, 
the engine should not be allowed to blow off when pulling 
hard on a hill, as this is liable to cause priming, necessitating 
stopping. In short, when approaching a steep hill, prepare 
for it so that you know you can ascend without stopping. 
In ascending a hill, avoid running fast, as a moderate rate 
of speed gives best results. If the engine shows a tendency 
to prime, the speed should be limited by means of the throttle 
so that the engine may run just fast enough to pass its dead- 
centers. 

Descending Hills. Important as it is to ascend the hill 
without stopping, it is doubly important in descending to 
reach level ground before stopping. Every man in charge 
of a boiler of the locomotive type should know the danger 
of stopping with the front end low. In descending a very 
steep hill leaA^e the throttle partly open to admit a little steam 
and if the engine runs too fast control the speed with reverse 
lever. 



HANDLING THE ENGINE. 5 1 

Gravel Hills. In going" up steep gravel hills there is 
danger of breaking through the surface crust, thereby letting 
the traction wheels into the soft gravel, which they will push 
out from under them, simply digging holes instead of pro- 
pelling the engine. When this occurs, stop at once, before 
the engine buries itself. Block the wheels of the separator, 
or other load behind the engine and uncouple and it will move 
out all right. If it does not, put cordwood sticks in front 
of the traction wheels so that the grouters will catch. An- 
other method is to hitch a team and start the team and 
engine together. 

Mud Holes. The statements regarding gravel hills apply 
in general to soft mud holes. Stop the engine when the 
wheels slip, and put straw, brush, stones, sticks or anything 
else that may be handy in front of the wheels so that the 
grouters can take hold of something. When the engine is 
on a "greasy" road where the wheels slip without digging 
much, get a couple of men to help roll the front wheels and 
you will be surprised how much good this does. 

With one traction wheel in a greasy mud hole or old 
stack bottom, and the other on solid ground, the diiferential 
gear may be locked, but unless you understand the conse- 
quences of doing this, as elsewhere explained in this book, 
it will be better to get out some other 'way. 

The Use of a Cable. It is a good plan to carry a steel 
cable or heavy rope with the outfit. Then when the engine 
stalls, it can be uncoupled and run onto solid ground where 



52 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

it can pull its load out of the hole by the long hitch, and 
then be coupled up short again. A cable or rope is elastic 
and therefore better than a chain, which is liable to snap 
with the shock of starting the load. Where a rope is used, 
it should have a ring spliced in one end. The other end may 
be tied into a shackle or clevis on the engine draw-bar in a 
"bow-line" knot, which will not slip and is easily untied 
after being strained. If a chain be used the engine must be 
moved very slowly, by means of the friction clutch, until all 
the slack is out of the chain. 

Special High Grouters. Engines for Louisiana, and 
other swampy localities, are usually fitted with pressed-steel 
grouters or ''mud-hooks," as they are called, which bolt to 
the traction wheels, in addition to the regular grouters. 
These are about five inches high and consequently must be 
taken off before crossing bridges. (They are furnished at 
an additional price.) 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE ENGINE PROPER. 



HE term "traction engine" commonly includes, 
not only what is, strictly speaking, the en- 
gine, but the boiler and traction parts as 
well. In this book, the term ''engine proper" 
will be used to designate those parts which 
are actually concerned in converting the 
energy of steam into rotary motion. The 
boiler changes water into steam by adding to it, heat, taken 
from the fuel. The engine proper^ consumes steam and 
delivers motion. 





FIG. 14. SIDE ELEVATION OF ENGINE PROPER. 

The Cylinder. It is in the cylinder that the actual 
change of heat into motion takes place. Here the steam 

53 



54 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



is alternately admitted on opposite sides of a piston, which 
is driven back and forth, thereby. This reciprocating- mo- 
tion of tlie piston is changed into the rotary motion of the 
shaft, by the crank and connecting- rod. The admission of 
steam to the cyhnder is controlled by the "slide-valve," 
which slides upon a planed surface, called the 'Valve-seat," 




FIG. 15. SECTIONAL VIEW OF SIMPLE CYLINDER. 

in a chamber, called the "steam-chest," which is adjacent 
to the cylinder. Passages, called "ports," lead from the 
valve seat to the ends of the cylinder and to the outside air, 
called the "exhaust." The valve alternately uncovers the 
ports and allows the steam in the chest to flow into the ends 
of the cylinder. The underside of the valve is chambered in 
such a manner that when the piston is being driven away 



THE ENGINE PROPER. 55 

from one end of the cylinder, this chamber connects the steam 
port of the opposite end with the exhaust port, and allows the 
steam to flow through the exhaust pipe into the air. The 
valve does not admit steam to the cylinder during a complete 
stroke of the piston, but only during- a part, which is known 
as "admission." When the piston has traveled a certain 
distance, the valve closes the port, shutting off the steam, 
at what is called the point of "cut-off." Since steam is 
elastic, it continues to act, with gradually decreasing pres- 
sure, upon the piston until the end of the stroke is reached. 
This part of the stroke and action of the steam is known as 
"expansion." In the same manner in which the admission 
of live steam is stopped before the piston completes its out- 
ward stroke, the exhaust is closed shortlv before the return 
stroke is completed. The steam caught between the piston 
and the end of the cylinder is compressed as the piston nears 
the end, raising the pressure of the steam and forming- what 
is called the "cushion." The part of the stroke after the 
exhaust has closed is called "compression." The steam is 
carried from the boiler to the steam chest by means of the 
steam pipe, in which the throttle and governor are located. 

The Piston. The piston is always a little smaller than 
the inside diameter of the cvlinder. It is made steam tieht. 
however, by rings which are fitted into grooves on its cir- 
cumference. These rings are originally made slightly larger 
than the bore of the cylinder, and are afterv/ard cut apart, 
so that they may be compressed sufficiently to enter the 



56 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

cylinder. This gives them some tension so that they fit the 
inside of the cyHnder closely, thus preventing leakage of the 
steam. The cylinder is bored slightly larger at the ends — 
*'counter-bored" as it is called. This is done to guard against 
the wearing of a shoulder, at the points, near each end of 
the cylinder, at which the outer edge of the piston ring 
stops. The forming of such a shoulder (which would cause 
the engine to pound), is prevented by allowing part of the 
ring to pass into the counter-bore. The entire width of the 
ring must not be permitted to enter the counter-bore, how- 
ever, or the ring would expand and catch against the 
shoulder. 

The Throttle. The throttle controls the flow of steam 
from the boiler to the steam chest. It should be left open 
after the engine is started, and the control of the speed 
left to the governor. The only exception to this rule is 
when the engine is working hard, as when traveling up a 
hill, with its boiler showing a tendency to prime. In this 
case, the engine should be made to run very slowly by 
means of the throttle. The skill with which some operators 
handle the throttle enables them to drive an engine up a 
hill which one less skilled could not make the engine climb. 
This applies principally to localities in which the water is so 
bad that it makes all boilers liable to prime. The throttle 
should be drained in cold weather to prevent damage by 
frost. 



THE ENGINE PRO PER. 



57 




FIG. 1 6. GOVERNOR. 



The Governor. The ''throttling-" gOA^ernor regulates the 
speed of the engine by limiting the amount of steam admitted 

,to the cylinder. It consists of balls 
which tend to fly apart when in 
motion, which tendency is resisted 
by springs. The cut shows how 
the valve closes as the balls move 
apart. The valve connection to the 
stem is flexible, but has no play 
endwise, thus allowing the valve 
to align itself by its seat. 

Speed. To increase the speed 
of the engine, loosen the check nut at the top of the governor 
and turn the screw up. To decrease the speed, screw it down. 
Be sure to set the check nut tight after altering. 

Packing. For packing the stuffing box, candle wicking 
is excellent ; soaked in a mixture of tallow and black lead 
or graphite, it will work well and last a long time. Do not 
screw the stuffing box down too hard on the packing. It is 
well to allow a slight leakage to insure its not being too tight. 
Oiling the Governor. Oil the governor thoroughly with 
good oil, especially the shaft and barrel. If oil has been used 
which gums or causes the parts to stick, a little benzine or f 
kerosene poured into the oil holes, once a week after shutting 
down, will keep the parts clean and in good order. 

The Governor Belt. Use a thin flat belt and see that the 



58 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



lacing or fastening is hammered down flat, so that no bunch 
remains to cause an uneven working of the governor. 
The belt should be sufficiently taut to prevent slipping, 

but not so taut as to 



STUFFING- 

SOX 




cause undue friction. 

If the governor 
"jumps*' or is irregular, 
it is probably occasioned 
by one of the following 
causes : first, because the 
valve is a little tight ; 
second, because the valve 
stem is bent ; or third, 
because the stuffing-box 
nut is screwed down 
too tightly. Turning the 
valve stem up and dowm, while the governor is running, 
will show whedier the valve works freely in its seat. If it 
binds at all, take it out, and rub it with fine emery cloth, 
but never attempt to file it. In taking the governor apart, 
the top must be lifted ofr as "true" as possible, so as not to 
bend the valve stem. If the valve stem becomes bent where 
it passes through the stuffing-box, it will be best to procure' 
a new stem. 

Rated Horse-Pozver. Stationary engines are rated at 
about their actual horse-power, as determined by brake test. 
Farm and traction engines, on the other hand, are rated very 



FIG. 17. SECTION OF GOVERNOR 
VALVE 



THE ENGINE PROPER. 59 

much below their actual or brake horse-power, which is a 
condition of affairs to be regretted. However, it would be 
a difficult matter to change this at the present time and to 
educate the users of these engines to comprehend the true 
size of the unit ''horse-power," since the practice of under- 
rating has existed since engines for driving threshing ma- 
chines were first built, and it has grown up with the business. 
If we look into history and causes, we find that the early 
method of driving threshing machines was b\' horse-power, 
and wdien engines were first used for threshing, a ten horse- 
power engine was supposed to supply about the same amount 
of power as a lever-power driven by ten horses. From the 
time of those early engines, to the present, the competition 
of different manufacturers, all endeavoring to furnish the 
most powerful engine of a given rating, and the raising of 
the steam pressure from 60 to 130 or even 160 pounds, 
(which was done without reducing the size of the cylinder 
of a given rating), has caused engines of this class to be 
more and more under-rated. Most threshing engines, now 
built in the United States, will easily develop from two to 
three times their rated horse-power, and the relation which 
the rated horse-power bears to the actual size of the engine 
varies so greatly, that, in reality, the "rated horse-power" 
gives only a very indefinite idea of the actual size of an 
engine. -There are reasons why it is preferable to indicate 
the size of an engine by size of its cylinder, instead of by 
its rated horse-power ; for example to say, a "Nine by Ten," 



6c SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

rather than a ''Fifteen Horse" engine. However, besides 
the cylinder size, the steam pressure carried and the speed 
are also important factors in determining the amount of 
horse-power an engine will develop. English engines are 
more under-rated than those built in the United States, but 
in comparing the engines of these countries, the difference in 
steam pressure and speed must be taken into consideration, 
as well as the difference in the size of cylinders. The meth- 
ods of obtaining the exact horse-power of an engine with 
the indicator or the Prony brake are becoming better known, 
but it is probable, however, that engines will not be cor- 
rectly rated for some time to come. 

Engine Horse-Pozver. The unit of power is a ''horse- 
power" which is defined as the amount of power necessary 
to raise thirty-three thousand pounds one foot in one minute. 
The horse-power of an engine is equal to the average, total, 
effective pressure on the piston multiplied by the number of 
feet it travels per minute, and divided by thirty-three thou- 
sand. The total effective pressure on the piston is equal to 
its area in square inches, multiplied by the effective pressure 
per square inch, which is not constant, but varies, being- 
nearest boiler pressure during the early part of the stroke 
and decreasing after the point of cut-off is passed, as the 
steam expands, until the end of the stroke is reached. The 
effective pressure is the pressure remaining after subtracting 
the back pressure of the exhaust. 

Indicated Horse-Power. The pressure at the different 
parts of the stroke can be measured only by means of the 



THE ENGINE PROPER. . 6l 

steam-engine indicator. This instrument has a small piston, 
connected to .a pencil point in such a way that movement of 
the piston is registered on a card. Since the movement of 
the piston is resisted by a calibrated spring, its position de- 
pends upon the amount of pressure it is subjected to, and 
therefore, the amount of pressure at all points may be 
known from the diagram made by the pencil point. Know 
ing the pressures at the various points of the stroke, it is 
easy to multiply the average by the travel of the piston in 
feet per minute and thus determine the horse-power. The 
result so obtained is called the "indicated" horse-power. 
The indicator measures the power developed in the cylinder 
and, of course, it takes a part of this to run the engine itself. 
The amount so consumed is, roughly, ten per cent, of the 
wi;iole. 

Brake Horse-Pozvcr. The net horse-power delivered at 
the fly-wheel may be actually measured by means of a device 
known as the "Prou}^ brake." This consists of a brake band 
for applying friction to the rim of a pulley. The brake band 
is prevented from turning by an arm which rests on a weigh- 
ing scale. From the scale reading, the speed of the pulley 
and the length of the brake arm, the horse-power can be 
figured, and the result so obtained is called the "brake" 
horse-power. It is evident that the difference between the 
indicated and brake horse-power is the power required to run 
the engine. 

Calculating the Horse-Power. Although, as already 
stated, the mean effective pressure can be measured only by 



62 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

the indicator, we can, for calculation, assume a value which 

approximates the correct one. This we will take to be 

fifty per cent, of the boiler pressure. Then, with a boiler 

pressure of one hundred and thirty pounds, our averag^e 

effective pressure (or ''mean effective pressure," as it is 

called) per square inch will be fifty per cent of one hundred 

and thirty pounds, or sixty-five pounds. This, multiplied by 

the area of the piston, will give the total mean effective 

pressure on the piston in pounds. The area of a circle is 

equal to its diameter multiplied by itself and the product by 

.7854. The travel of the piston is equal to twice the stroke 

(there being two strokes to each revolution), multiplied by 

the number of revolutions per minute. As the length of 

the stroke Is usually given in Inches, this product must be 

divided by twelve to reduce the result to feet per minute. 

The following example is of an engine with a Nine by 

Ten cylinder, a speed of two himdred and fifty revolutions 

per minute and a boiler pressure of one-hundred and thirty 

nounds — the size of the Case engine, rated at Fifteen horse- 

power. 

250 revolutions per minute. 
20 travel of piston in inches per revolution. 



12)5,000 travel of piston in inches per minute. 

416.6 travel of piston in feet per minute. 

■7854 

8i=(9X9), square of diameter of piston. 



7854 
62832 



63.6174 area of piston in square inches. 



THE ENGINE PROPER. 63 

63.6174 area of piston in sqtiare inches, 

65=(5o^() of 13c), the "mean effective" pressure 
— (pounds per square inch.) 



3180870 
3817044 



4135,1310 total average pressure on piston in pounds. 

416.6 travel of piston in feet per minute. 



248107S6 
24810786 

4135131 
16540524 



33,000)1722695. 5746('52, 20 (The "calculated" horse-power correspon^i- 
165000 ing to the "indicated" horsepowei.'* 

72695 
66000 



66955 
66000 

95574 

Deducting ten per cent, for the friction of the working 
parts of the engine, we have forty-seven horse-power as the 
result. This remainder is a little niore than three times the 
rated horse-power and represents the power actually deliv- 
ered at the engine fly-wheej, and corresponds to the "brake" 
horse-power. 

Coiiiponnd Engines. A compound engine is one in which 
the steam is expanded in two or more cylinders. Threshing 
engines, when compounded, are "two-cylinder'' compounds, 
but large stationary and marine engines are often "triple" 
and sometimes "quadruple" expansion. There are different 
types of two-cylinder compounds, viz. : the "cross," where 



64 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



the cylinders are abreast and each piston connected to a 
separate crank; the "trunk," in which two pistons of tne 
same size are connected by an enlarged rod or trunk, the 
high-pressure cylinder being in the form of an annular ring 
between the pistons, and the low-pressure at the ends of the 
long cylinder which is the same bore throughout ; and the 
"tandem," having one cylinder behind the other, with both 
pistons on the same rod. The latter has proved to be the 
type best adapted for use on farm and traction engines. 

The Woolf Compound. The illustration below 
shows a sectional view of the "Woolf'-tandem-compound 
cylinder now used on "Case" compounded engines. Its oper- 
ation is as follows: The steam from the boiler enters the 
valve, (which is hollow), through the large opening at the 




FIG. 1 8. SECTIONAL VIEW OF "VI^OOLF" COMPOUNDED CYLINDER 



crank end, passes through the valve and out at the narrow 
opening near the head end, which, as the valve moves, alter- 



THE ENGINE PROPER. 



65 







F— •> VALVfi STcrt 



' d^Lill. LLSjLL. 



FIG. 19. FACE OF VALVE. 




tely comes opposite the two ports leading to the ends 
of the small or high pressure cylinder. The valve in mov- 
ing also alternately uncovers these ports, allowing the high- 
pressure cvlinder to exhaust into the steam chest. The low- 
pressure cylin- 
der receives the 
steam from the 
s t e a m chest, 
and exhausts, 
(through the 
heater), into 
the stack, i n 
exactly the same manner as a simple engine. The valve is 
"balanced" because high-pressure steam is under and tending 
to lift it, while the low-pressure steam is on top, and pressing 

it against its seat. When 
the engine is running with 
a light load, the pressure 
is sometimes insufficient 
to hold the valve against 
its seat, in Vvdiich case a 
loud clattering noise is 
made by the valve as it 
raises from and returns to 
FIG. 20. its seat. To prevent this, 

SHOWING PIPE TO STi' AM PLUGS, two stcam plugs are placed 




66 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



in the chambered steam-chest cover, so that, when the vah'e 
in the sniah steam pipe connecting this chamber with the 
main steam-pipe is open, the hve steam pressure against 
the phifi^s holds the valve against its seat. 

To Take Apart the Coinponnd Cylinder. To take out the 
pistons for rcnevv^ing the piston-rings or for other pur- 
poses, first unbolt and remove the high-pressure cylinder. 
Then loosen the jam-nut and unscrew the rod from the 
cross-head by turning tlie pistons. The rod with the two 
pistons and the center-head may now be pulled out. In 
replacing the cylinder, loosen the three, (or four), set-screws, 
which hold the center-head in position, and after the high- 
pressure cylinder is bolted in place, tighten them up in order 
to hold the center-head in position and prevent leakage. If 
the asbestos gasket has been injured.it will be necessary to 
put in a new one. 

Center-Head Packing. Leakage around tlie rod, between 
the two cylinders, is prevented by metallic packing, which 
wall, with sufficient lubrication, remain tight during the life 

of the engine. The 
accompanying cuts 
show a side and a 
sectional view of 
the. metallic pis- 
ton-rod packing 
which is located 
FIG. 21. THE CENTER-HEAD PACKING, in the ceuter-head 




THE ENGINE i'ROPER. 6y 

between the high- and low-pressure cyhnders. In the side 
view, the rings G and B are removed. The center-head is 
represented by A. The iron-packing rings D and E are each 
in three parts or segments and are held in their proper places 
by the spring C. These segments of rings are so placed that 
they "break joints," as can readily be seen from the side ele- 
vation. They are held in position, relative to each other, by 
the dowel pin, H. These packing rings are held in place by 
the ring B, and also by tlie ring G, which is fastened to the 
head with three cap-screws, F. The head is held in its posi- 
tion between the cylinders by set-screws, as can readily be 
seen from cut on page 64. 

To Test the Center-Head Packing, set the reverse lever 
fcf, say, the threshing motion and turn the engine in the 
direction in which it would run, just past the crank-end 
dead-center. Block the cross-head so that the crank-shaft 
cannot revolve, disconnect the cylinder-cock rod, and open 
the throttle. This will admit steam on the crank-end of the 
high pressure cylinder, and if the cylinder-cock on the head- 
end of the low-pressure cylinder blov/s steam when opened, 
it can* come only from leakage of the metallic packing in the 
center-head. 



68 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 




m 

w 
;> 

O 

o 



w 



01 
0^ 



o 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE \AL\'E-GEAR. 




I^HE mechanism that operates the vah/e of an 
engine is known as the "valve-gear." On 
stationary or portable engines, which are 
only required to run in one direction, the 
valve gear consists simply of an eccentric on 
the crank shaft, (to which the valve stem is 
connected by means of the eccentric-rod), 
and a guide to keep the valve-stem in alignment. As trac- 
tion engines must be run in both directions, a reversing valve 
gear is required, which necessarily renders the valve gear 
more complicated. There have been numerous mechanisms 
invented for this purpose, but most traction engines are 
equipped with either the *'link" or the Woolf reverse, as 
these are almost the only ones that have withstood the test 
of time. 

It is apparent, that, in order to use steam econom- 
ically, it must be allowed to pass in and out of the cylinder 
at precisely the right moments, and during certain intervals. 
Consequently, the economy of a steam engine depends almost 
entirely upon the valve-gear, wdiich should, therefore, be kept 
in good repair. The ease with which the valve is moved, 
depends largely upon its lubrication. If the valve be allowed 

69 



yO SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL TilRESIIINC 

to run dry, the valve gear is subjected to an immense amount 
of unnecessary work, which soon wears it, so that the valve 
does not move as it should, and the engine becomes wasteful 
in its use of steam. The valve should be well lubricated at 
all times, the wearing parts of the valve-gear should be 
oiled frequently and every precaution taken to keep the valve- 
gear in first class condition. The wear should be taken up 
as fast as it appears so that the parts are not allowed to 
pound. 

The IVooIf Vah'e-Gear. The Woolf valve-gear possesses 
advantages over the other devices used for reversing trac- 
tion engines, which entitle it to rank as the most popular and 
satisfactory means for this purpose known at the present 
time. It is very simple, consisting of a single eccentric, the 
"strap" of which is extended to form an arm ; to the end 
of this arm is pivoted a block, which slides in a guide con- 
nected to the hand lever and pivoted in such a way that the 
angle of the block's path depends upon the position of the 
hand lever ; the eccentric rod transmits the motion from the 
eccentric arm, (to v/hich it is connected), to the valve stem 
through a rocker arm or guided "slide." It will be seen 
that the angle of the "block guide" determines the amount 
of travel of the valve. By placing the reverse lever at or 
near tlie center of the quadrant, the reverse gear acts as an 
efficient brake in controlling the engine when descending 
hills, or at any time when it is desirable to suddenly check 
the. speed of the engine. This reverse allows of "hooking 



^ THE VALVE-GEAR. 7 1 

Up," that is, placing the lever in notches between the end 
and center of the quadrant. In these positions, the valve 
travel is reduced and the points of "cut-oft" made earlier, 
which, of course, lessens the amount of steam required. It 
is, therefore, economy to run the engine "hooked up" when- 
ever its load will allow. Provision is made for taking up 
lost motion in the parts subjected to wear. All the joints 
should be kept well oiled, but the only parts which require 
frequent attention in this respect, are the eccentric and the 
sliding block. When the valve is sufficiently lubricated, and 
the valve-gear is properly oiled and adjusted, the reverse 
lever is easily handled, when under a full head of steam. 

Caution Against Disturbing the Valve Setting. It so 
often happens that an expert, when called to an engine, finds 
that the valve has been re-set after the engine left the factory, 
that it seems best, at this point, to say a few words of cau- 
tion against disturbing the valve of a new engine. Let us 
advise you not to jump to the conclusion that your valve is 
incorrectly constructed or improperly set. Rem.ember that 
the engine has been designed and built by experienced men, 
thoroughly competent to make it all that it should be. Re- 
m.ember, too, that the engine has been tested at the factory, 
in the belt and on the road with heavy loads, within sight 
and hearing of a dozen men, whose long experience has 
made them so critical that they could not fail to detect any- 
thing wrong in the engine's performance. Let us add that 
in nine cases out of ten, where an expert is called to re-set 



72 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

a valve, he finds that it has been disturbed since it left the 
testing room. Do not, then, conclude that your valve is 
''off/' until you have carefully investigated whatever trouble 
there may be. 

There are men in nearly every locality throughout 
the country, v\ho are confident that they themselves 
know more about setting valves than do the manufac- 
turers. These men affirm that whatever trouble they may 
have is due to the working of the valve, and, when no im- 
provement is shown after they have re-set it, they say that 
the valve-gear was not properly constructed and designed 
originally. If they had carefully investigated the trouble 
before disturbing the valve, they would have discovered the 
real cause, due probably to either insufficient cylinder and 
valve lubrication, or to a priming tendency of the boiler. 
The causes of, and the remedies for these difficulties are dis- 
cussed elsewhere in this book. 

Finding the "Dead Centers." An engine is on its ''dead- 
center" when a line drawn through the center of the piston- 
rod v/ill pass through the center of the crank-pin. There 
are two, the "crank" dead-center, when the piston is at the 
end of the cylinder nearest the crank-shaft, and the "head" 
dead-center, when the piston is at the opposite end. An 
engine is said to be running- "over" when the top of rim 
of f^y-wheel runs away from the cylinder and running 
"under" when the top of rim of fly-wheel runs towards the 
cylinder. "Case" engines are marked for finding the dead- 



TP11-: VAL\'E-GEAR. 



73 




centers at the factory, and by applying one of the company's 
trams, as indicated in Fig-. 22, they may be readily placed 
on either dead-center. It may be necessary to scrape 

ofif the paint to find the 
prick-punch marks on the 
frame and on the crank-disc. 
The tram shown in the illus- 
tration measures eight and 
three-sixteenths inches be- 
tween the points, which size 
FIG. 23. TRAM ON DISC. has been used by the "Case" 
company for many years. It will be seen that a "Case" en- 
gine may be put on its dead centers by using a pair of divid- 
ers set to this distance, but they do not serve the purpose as 
well as the tram. The following- method of finding the dead 
centers is the one used at the factory, and is generally used 
on all styles of engines. To put it into use, first take up all 
lost motion in the connecting'-rod brasses, crank-shaft bear- 
ing and cross-head shoes. Then turn the engine until the 
piston lacks an inch or so of completing its stroke. Make 
a prick-punch mark at any convenient place on the cross- 
head (see Fig. 24), Insert one point of the tram in the mark 
and with the other point, make a scratch on the engine frame 
to locate a second prick-punch mark. The tram points 
should now measure the exact distance between the two 
marks and when applied should be nearly paraPel to 'lie 




74 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

piston-rod, as shown in Fig. 23. In the same manner, a 
mark should be made at any convenient place on the frame 
near the crank-disc, a scratch made on the disc, (which 
should come across the face of the disc), and a light prick- 
punch mark made on the disc, so that the tram measures 
the exact distance between the marks, as shown in Fig. 22. 

Next, turn the engine until the 

cross-head comes back to the 

same place, but with the crank- 

-JJT ^ _ ^_^. — ^-^ pin on the other side of the 

dead-center, holding^ the tram 
FIG. 24. ^ 

TRAM ON CROSS-HEAD. with ouc point in the mark 

on the frame, near the guides, and the other so that it will 
drop into the cross-head prick-punch mark when it comes to 
the right place. Next, place one leg of the tram in the other 
mark on the frame and make a scratch on the disc as before, 
to locate the second mark on the rim of the crank-disc. 
When this is done, find the mid-point between the two marks 
(which are temporary), on the disc, with a pair of dividers, 
mark it clearly, and then destroy the two original marks. 
The other dead-center is found in the same manner. Now 
when the crank-disc is turned around until the tram point 
drops into one of the marks on it, the engine will be 
on either of its dead-centers. With engines, on which the 
crank-disc is not easily reached, the prick-punch marks for 
the tram are usually located on the fly-wheel rim. They were 
so placed on "Case" center-crank engines. 



THE VAI,VE-GEAR. 75 

In placing the engine on its dead-centers, in examining 
the valve setting, or in setting the valve, it should always be 
turned in the direction indicated by the reverse lever, that is, 
if the reverse lever is in the forward end of the quadrant, 
the engine should be turned ''under," or in the direction in 
which it runs when threshing. If turned past the mark, it 
should be turned the opposite way and again brought to the 
mark, moving in the right direction. This eliminates any 
error due to lost motion. 

To Determine if the Valve Setting has been Disturbed. 
New engines have their valves set at the factory before being 
painted, so that broken paint often reveals the fact that some- 
one has re-set the valve. Besides this indication, "Case" 
engines are provided with marks, by means of which, one 
can determine whether or not the valve setting has been dis- 
turbed since the engine left the factory and, if it has been 
disturbed, furnish the means to bring it back to the original 
setting without removing the steam chest cover. The eccen- 
tric hub and the shaft are marked, as with a sharp cold 
chisel, so that the marks meet when the eccentric is in its 
proper position. V/hen one suspects that the eccentric has 
slipped from its original position, an examination of these 
marks will show whether it has or has not. If it has slipped, 
the trouble may be corrected by loosening the set-screws and 
rotating it around the shaft until the marks correspond. 
An eccentric is liable to slip when it becomes hot from run- 
ning without oil and this tendency in such cases is sometimes 



76 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



strong" enough to shear off the points of the set screws which 
secure the eccentric. 

Besides the marks on the eccentric, there are marks on the 
valve-stem and its stufFmg-box, in order to make apparent 
any change in the length of the valve-rod or the eccentric- 
rod. To use these marks, however, one should have one of 
the Company's valve-rod trams. This is shorter than the one 
used on the crank-disc and measures exactly four and three- 
sixteenths inches between points. It is used as shown in 
Fig. 24. There are two marks on the valve-stem and they 

should be on top. When the 
reverse lever is at the rear end 
of the quadrant, (i. e., the road 
motion), and the engine is 
placed on one of its dead cen- 
ters, the valve-rod tram should 
drop into one of the marks, and 
when the engine is placed on 
its other dead-center, the tram should drop into the other 
mark. If the tram points do not drop into the marks, the 
eccentric rod should be adjusted as to length until they do 
or else the valve nnist be entirely re-set as explained below. 

Setting the Valve on Engines zvrtk Woolf Reverse. After 
having taken up all the lost motion on the valve-gear, main- 
bearings, crank-pin and cross-head pin and shoes, and being 
provided with the tram for placing the engine on its dead- 
centers, as explained, proceed to set the valve as follows : 




FIG. 25. TRAM ON VALVE-STEM. 



THE VAL\'E-GEAK. 'J'J 

First. See that the *'reach-rod" from the "reverse-lever*' 
to the ''block-guide" is of such length that the valve moves 
the same distance during a revolution of the fly-wheel in 
one direction as for a revolution in the opposite direction, 
with the reverse-lever in the end notch of the quadrant in 
both cases. The entire distance the valve moves, which is 
called the 'Valve travel," may be conveniently measured on 
the valve stem by the tram, as illustrated in Fig. 24. To do 
this hold one of the tram points in the punch-mark on the 
stuffing-box and, with the other, make scratches across the 
rod as the fly-wheel is slowly revolved. If the "valve travel" 
be more for one motion than for the other, it shows that 
the reach-rod is either too long or too short to give the 
proper angularity to the block-guide, which angularity deter- 
mines the travel of the valve. This rod can be easily ad- 
justed to the correct length by taking the pin out of the 
lever and turning the forked head of the rod until the 
required length is obtained. The jam-nut should then be 
tightened to prevent lost motion. 

Second. See that the eccentric is in the proper position, 
which is, with it's point of greatest throw nearly opposite 
the engine crank-pin. The movement of the valve in throw- 
ing the lever from one end notch to the other end notch of the 
quadrant, with the engine on its dead-center, is called the 
"slip." When the eccentric is properly located, the slip will 
be the same for "head" dead-center as for "crank" dead- 
center. The "slip" must not only be alike in amount, but 



yS SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

must also be in the same direction as that in which the lever is 
moved, in both cases. If the ''slip" be zvith the lever for one 
dead-center, and against it for the other, the eccentric is not 
in the correct position, and should be rotated slightly on the 
shaft, imtil the ''slip" is in the same direction as that in 
which the lever is moved, for both dead-centers. If it be 
impossible to get this, the pedestal is not the right height, 
as explained in the following paragraph. In setting the 
eccentric, one set-screw will hold it in place temporarily. 

Third. See that the pedestal is the correct height. The 
amount of "slip" indicates this, and if it be one-sixteenth 
for both dead-centers, and in the same direction as that in 
which the lever is moved, the pedestal is the proper height. 
If the pedestal be too high, the "slip" of the valve will be 
more than one-sixteenth, and if too low, it will be less, or if 
very low, the valve stem will move in the opposite directiorr 
to that in which the reverse lever is moved. The pedestal 
may be raised, by placing "shims" of sheet-iron between it 
and the frame at the place where it is bolted, and lowered, 
by removing the shims. If there be none, the pedestal must 
be taken to a machine-shop and planed off in order to 
lower it. 

Fourth. When you know that the reach-rod is the 
correct length ; that the eccentric is in the proper position, 
and that the pedestal is the correct height, give the yilve 
three-thirty-seconds of an inch "lead" on the crank-end for 
the threshing-motion. The "slip" of the valve, in throwing 



THE VALVE-GEAR. 79 

the lever over to the road motion, will reduce this lead by 
one-sixteenth, so that the leads will be nearly alike for the 
road-motion. The "lead" should be obtained by adjusting 
the length of the eccentric-rod, allowing the nuts on the 
valve-stem to remain undisturbed. If the nuts on valve- 
stem be loosened, the '*draw-block" is liable to be tilted so 
that the valve cannot leave its seat when necessary to let 
water out of cylinder. 

It is best, after setting the valve, to go all over it again 
from the beginning, and if all be found correct, the eccentric 
may be set permanently by tightening both set-screws. These 
are counter-sunk into the shaft, and if necessary, the depres- 
sions may be changed by sliding the eccentric-hub to one 
side, (after having* removed the eccentric-strap), and chip- 
ping them out with a round-nose chisel so that the deepest 
part is in the required position for the set-screw. The eccen- 
tric-hub and shaft should be marked, (as is done at the fac- 
tory), with a cold-chisel, so that should the eccentric slip, 
the slippage can be discovered and the eccentric readily 
re-set. 

In any style of valve-gear the ''lead'' is changed by rotat- 
ing the eccentric around the shaft. It will be seen that the 
Woolf reverse, having but one eccentric cannot be adjusted 
to change the lead, because if the lead be increased for engine 
running ''over,'* it will be decreased for engine running 
"under," and vice versa. There is therefore but one position 
for the eccentric. This is determined at the factory, and on 



80 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

''Case'" engines built since 1898 the main sliaft is counter- 
sunk for the set screws. 

Even Cut-offs. The above is the method used in setting 
the valve on nine, twelve, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five 
horse-power **Case" traction engines at the factory, and brake 
and indicator tests show that these engines, with their valves 
so set, easily develop three times their rated horse-power, and 
are very economical. It will be seen that this method of set- 
ting the valve gives unequal ''leads" for the threshing-motion, 
there being three-thirty-seconds of an inch on the crank-end 
and no lead on the head-end. The points of cut-off, however, 
will be ''even/' that is, alike on both ends, for both road and 
threshing-motions. Were it desirable to set the valve with 
equal "leads," it could be done by making the pedestal of 
such a height that there would be no "slip." In this case, 
the points of cut-off would not be even, and one end of the 
cylinder would do more work than the other. For this, and 
other reasons, this method is not recommended. 

Setting the Valve on Compounds. The valve of the 
Woolf-compound cylinder is set in exactly the same manner 
as that of a simple engine, the part of valve covering low- 
pressure ports only, being considered. 

Setting a Valve zvith Link Rez'erse. After having taken 
up all the lost motion, as explained, the first thing to do, in 
setting the valve on an engine equipped with the "link" re- 
verse, is to find the correct length of the eccentric-rods. To 
do this, take ofif the steam-chest cover and place the reverse 



THE VALVE-GEAR. 8l 

lever in the last notch at either end of the quadrant. Now, 
with a scratch-awl having a very fine point, make scratches 
on the valve seat, showing the extreme position of the valve 
at each end of its travel as the fly-v/heel is revolved. Meas- 
ure from the marks to the outside edges of the steam ports, 
and, if there be any difference, divide it up by lengthening 
or shortening the eccentric-rod, that is for the time being, 
moving the valve. The length of the other rod is found 
in the same way. the reverse-lever being at the opposite end 
of the quadrant. If the engine be marked and you have the 
'Hram" for placing it on the centers, as already explained, 
proceed to set the valve as follows : After the lengths of 
the eccentric-rods are correctly adjusted, according to the 
method already given, place the engine on one of its dead- 
centers, say, the head oric, and set the reverse lever in the 
last notch at either end of the quadrant. The valve should 
now be in such a position that the port leading to the head 
end of the cylinder should show a "lead" equal to the thick- 
ness of an ordinary playing card. The amount of lead 
may be varied by rotating the eccentric hub around the 
shaft. Rotating it in the direction in which the engine is to 
run increases the lead and moving it in the opposite direc- 
tion decreases the lead. When you have obtained the desired 
lead, place the engine on the other dead center and see if 
the lead be the same. If it be not, the valve-stem should be 
lengthened or shortened, (by means of adjusting nuts), until 
it is the same. If, after dividinjr the lead, there be too 



82 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

much or too little, rotate the eccentric hub on the shaft, until 
the required lead is obtained at both ends. The valve is now 
set for the engine running either "over" or ''under," accord- 
ing to the end of the quadrant at v^^hich the reverse lever was 
set. The reverse-lever may now be placed in the other end 
of the quadrant and the valve set for the other motion. This 
is done in the same manner, except that the dividing of the 
lead must now be done on the eccentric-rod instead of the 
valve-stem, so that the first setting will not be disturbed. 
When this is done, try the other motion again, so that when 
you are through, you know that the lead is the same for both 
dead-centers for the engine running either over or under. 
The draw-block should be examined to insure its not beinp" 
so tipped as to prevent the valve from raising from its seat 
when necessary to let water out of the cylinder. 

With the link reverse, the lead can be as much or as little 
as desired and need not be the same for both motions. How- 
ever, lead equal to the thickness of a playing card will give 
the best results for this class of engines. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE BOILER. 




HE function of the boiler is to heat water 
sufficiently to change it into steam, for use 
in an engine, or for other purposes. The 
supply of water for the boiler has been 
treated under "The Feed Water" in Chap- 
ter II, and the management of the fire with 
various fuels under "Firing" in Chapter III. 
Temperature of Water and Steam in a Boiler. Although 
water boils in an open vessel at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, if 
it be confined, a pressure will be developed, which will pre- 
vent it from boiling until a higher temperature is reached. 
A certain relation exists between the pressure and tempera- 
ture of the steam in a boiler and for any given pressure there 
is a corresponding temperature. Thus, for a pressure of 50 
lbs., the temperature is 267 degrees, for 100 lbs. pressure the 
the temperature is 337 degrees, and for 125 lbs. pressure, 
the temperature is 352 degrees. The temperature in the 
firebox is, of course, many times greater. 

Boiler Fittings. The fittings necessary for the operation 
of a boiler, are the feeder, (for supplying the water), glass 
gage and gage cocks, (for indicating the water level), a 
steam gage, (for indicating the pressure), a pop or safety 

83 



84 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 




Q 
O 
O 

O 

J 

< 

o 
o 

Pi 
o 

in 
H 



I— I 

o 

o 



w 



o 

H 

w 



d 

I— i 



ONiNBdo yooa 3iiij 



il3XyA\ 



T\\\l !;;)ILER. 



85 



valve, (to prevent the pressure from reaching a dangerous 
height), and a "blow-off" valve, (for draining the boiler). 
A boiler is usually fitted also v/ith a whistle for signaling, 
and a blower for forcing the draft. The water feeders, water 
glass and gage cocks have been treated under the "Feed 
AA^ater" in Chapter II. 

TJic Sfcani Gage. The steam 
gage indicates the steam pressure 
in the boiler in pounds per square 
inch. The cut shows the interior 
of the gage used on Case engines. 
The curved tube or Bourdon 
spring has an oval cross section, 
and when exposed to pressure 
i-TG. 27. INTERIOR OF GAGE, fj-^j^-, ^|-j^ lusidc, tcuds to Straight- 
en, as a hose will do v/hen under w'ater pressure. The free 
end of the Bourdon tube is connected to the pointer by means 
of a segment lever and pinion so that the pointer, wdiich is on 
the same shaft as the pinion, revolves, indicating on the dial 
the pressure on the inside of the tube, which is the same as 
that in the boiler. In order to prevent the temper of the tube 
from being injured by hot steam, a siphon, whicli con- 
denses the steam and keeps the tube filled with water, 
is placed between the gage and the boiler. The sectional 
view of the siphon shows a loose cap over the pipe, 
which extends into the i?-lobe chamber ; this deflects the 




86 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL TIIRESIIING. 




FIG. 28. SECTION 
OF SIPHON." 



entering steam, to the bottom, where 
it condenses in the chamber, and thus 
effectually prevents any live steam 
from reaching the spring of the gage. 
The cap over the pipe falls when 
the pressure is removed, making a 
siphon, which is self-emptying, and thus 
all danger of bursting by frost is over- 
come. The cock should always be left 
open. 

The Pop Safety Valve. The safety 
valve opens when the pressure reaches 
a certain point, allowing the excess 

steam to escape and closes 
when the pressure has been 
reduced a few pounds. The 
valves are usually set at the 
factory to blow off at, one 
hundred and thirty pounds. 
If a change of pressure be de- 
sired, unscrew the jam nut at 
the top and apply the key, 
provided for this purpose, to 
the pressure screw. For more 
pressure, screw down ; for 
less, unscrew. After having 
obtained the desired pressure, 

FIG. 29. 

SECTIONAL VIEW OF POP VALVE, scrcw the jam nut down tight 




THE BOILER. 87 

on the pressure screw. To regulate the opening and closing 
action of the valve, take the pointed end of a file and apply 
it to the teeth of the regulator. If the valve closes with too 
much loss of boiler pressure, move the regulator to the 
right. This can be done when the valve is at the point of 
blowing off. 

Tlic Blower. The blow^er consists simply of a pipe 
leading from the boiler to a nozzle in the smoke-stack. In 
the pipe is a valve for shutting oft' the steam. On traction 
engines, a rod is fitted to this valve, allowing it to be oper- 
ated from the platform. The blower is intended for use 
only in raising steam, when the engine is not running. When 
the engine is running, its exhaust is discharged into the 
smoke-stack, creating what is known as "forced" draft, as 
distinguished from "natural" draft, which is due only to 
the height of the chimney. When an engine has been 
running and is temporarily shut down the blower should 
not be used unless the entire grate surface is covered with 
burning fuel. If the blower be used soon after shutting 
down and the grates are not entirely covered with burning 
fuel, cold air will pass through the dead places in the grates 
direct to the tubes, cooling them suddenly and rendering 
them liable to leak. 

Foaming. When a boiler is "foaming," the water in the 
glass appears roily and the level changes rapidly, the glass 
appearing full one moment and nearly empty the next. Dirty 
water is usually the cause of foaming, alkali, or soap in any 
quantities being especially bad. No one should be allowed 



88 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

to wash in the tank, as even a small quantity of soap is liable 
to cause trouble. On account of the soap used in manufac- 
ture, new boilers are liable to foam until they are washed 
out two or three times. It is difficult to tell exactly how 
much water there is in a foaming boiler, but it is probable 
that some of it is being drawn over with the steam, and 
therefore, the pump should feed more than the usual amount. 
Do not run too long with a foaming boiler, but close the 
throttle occasionally to see how full the boiler is when the 
water settles. The remedy for foaming is to keep the boiler 
clean and to use clean water. Foaming often causes priming. 
Foaming and priming are more apt to occur v/ith lovv^ than 
with high steam pressure. 

Priming. When water is drawn over into the cylinder 
with the steam, the engine is said to ''prime." A priming 
engine appears to be working very hard, exhausting heav- 
ily, throwing water from the stack and often making a loud 
knocking or pounding noise in the cylinder. Priming may 
be caused by : i . Too much water in the boiler. 2. Too 
low steam pressure. 3. Engine working hard with the front 
of the boiler low. 4. Boiler working beyond its capacity. 
5. Foaming. 6. Piston rings or valve leaking. 7. Valve 
improperly set. 

In case the engine should begin to prime, the cylinder 
cocks should be opened and the throttle partially closed, so 
that the engine runs quite slowly, until dry steam comes 
from the cylinder cocks. Priming is liable to knock out a 
cylinder head, break the piston head, or do other serious 



THE BOILER. 89 

damage to the engine. It always washes the oil from the 
C) linder and valve, thereby causing the latter to squeak. The 
lubricator or oil pump should be allowed to feed quite freely 
after priming, or serious injury to the valve-gear may result 

Painting the Boiler. The greater part of the boiler can 
be kept black and looking well by rubbing with oily waste 
or rags. The front end of the boiler, around the smoke-box, 
and the smoke-stack require painting from time to time to 
prevent them from becoming rusty and unsightly. For this, 
asphaltum or boiled linseed oil mixed v/ith a little lamp 
black, is suitable. The entire boiler may also be painted with 
either of these when necessary. 

Cleaning the Boiler. No rule can be given as to the fre- 
quency with wliich a boiler should be washed out. In some 
localities it is necessary to clean it twice a week, while in 
others, where the water is almost perfectly clean and pure, 
once in six weeks is sufficient. In emptying the boiler pre- 
paratory to cleaning, be sure that all of the fire is out, and 
that the steam pressure is below ten pounds before opening 
the blow-oit valve. This is necessary, in order to prevent the 
mud from becoming baked on the tubes and sheets. See that 
the fire door, smoke-box door and drafts are all closed to pre- 
vent the boiler from cooling too quickly. To clean the boiler, 
remove the plugs or hand-hole plates in the water-leg and 
also the one at the bottom of the front tube-sheet. Wash 
the boiler thoroughly with a hose, using as much pressure 
as possible. Most of the sediment will be found around the 
"water-leg" and along the bottom of the barrel. 



90 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

Packing Hand Hole Plates. After the boiler has been 
cleaned, the hand-holes must be re-packed, for it seldom hap- 
pens that a gasket can be used the second time. Gaskets, 
for re-packing, may be purchased, cut ready for use, or they 
may be cut from sheet rubber packing by the engineer. Other 
substances, such as sheet asbestos, card-board, straw-board, 
or rubber belting are sometimes used, but the most satis- 
factory material for this purpose is two-ply sheet rubber, 
which is about one-eighth of an inch thick. The gasket 
should be cut so as to fit closely around the flange on the 
plate, and should lie flat. The gasket for the bolt head may 
be made from the piece cut from the center of the larger 
gasket. Before the hand-hole plate is replaced, the nut 
should be oiled and screwed back and forth the whole length 
of the thread on the bolt, using a wrench if necessary, until 
it may be easily turned with the fingers. The inside of the 
boiler plate and the face of the hand-hole plate, where the 
packing touches, should be scraped as clean and smooth as 
possible. Care must be taken in inserting the plate, to pre- 
vent displacing the gasket. When the hand-hole plate is 
in place, the nut should not be screwed down too tightly, 
when the engine is cold, as the gasket may be injured so that 
it would not stand steam pressure. It is best to screw up 
the nut only moderately tight when cold, and turn it up a 
little more with a wrench when steam begins to show on the 
gage, and then a little more from time to time until the steam 
gage shows working pressure. In this way, the rubber has 



THE BOILER. 9 1 

a chance to soften with the heat and adapt itself to the iron 
surfaces. 

Cleaning the Tubes. The tubes should be cleaned at 
least once each day, whether in burning coal, wood or straw. 
The tube scraper is adjustable, and may be set out while 
in the tube by turning the rod to the right. Turning the rod 
to the left decreases the size of the scraper. Soot is a very 
poor conductor of heat, and even a thin coating of it affects 
the efficiency of the boiler to a considerable extent. It is 
therefore, essential to keep the scraper well set out. so that 
all the soot will be removed. 

Expanding and Beading the Tubes. Leaky tubes should 
be fixed the first time the engine cools. When the steam no 
longer shows on the gage, remove the ash-pan bottom and 
grates ; also the bricks, if the engine be a straw burner. If 
the leaks be only slight ones, they may be stopped by simply 
using a beading tool. To do this clean the end of the tube 
and the tube sheet and place the long or guiding end of the 
tool within the tube. Use a small hammer, and with light 
blows bead the tube all around, moving the tool slightly at 
each blow. The beading tool may be used when there is 
water in the boiler, but care must be taken to use only very 
light blov/s of the hammer or the concussion will be trans- 
mitted by the water and loosen other tubes. Having water 
in the boiler when beading the tubes has the advantage of 
showing the leaks so that it may be known when the tube is 
tight. If the leaks be m.ore serious, it will be necessary to 



C)2 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL 'rilRESUING. 

use an expander. The expander requires considerable care 
and some experience to use, and in the hands of an inexper- 
ienced or careless workman, may cause great damage to the 
boiler by distorting the flue sheet, or rolling the tubes thin 
and worthless. In using the roller expander, place the flange 
against the tube sheet and drive the pin in with a few light 
blows. Then turn it back and forth with a wrench until it 
loosens. Drive the pin in again, and repeat the operation 
several times. The roller expander may be used when there 
is water in the boiler. If a spring or plug expander be used, 
be sure that it is the right size, and is made to fit the thick- 
ness of the flue sheet in your boiler. This is very important. 
To use the spring expander, place it within the tube with 
the shoulder well up against the tube sheet. Drive in the 
taper pin with a few light blovv^s and then jar it out by 
striking it on the side. Repeat several times, turning the 
expander a little each time, until it has made a complete 
revolution. The spring expander cannot be used Vv^hen there 
is water in the boiler, as the jar of the hammer-blows will 
be transmitted to the other tubes and loosen them. Use 
plenty of oil on either style of expander, and carefully clean 
the end of the tube of soot and scale before inserting the 
tool. Care must be taken, in expanding the tubes, not to 
expand them so liard as to stretch or enlarge the hole in the 
tube sheet, and thereby loosen the adjoining tubes. When 
all of the leaky tubes have been expanded, they must be 
beaded down against the sheet with the beading tool. 



THE r.OTT.ER. 93 

Danger of Using an Old Boiler. There is clanger of a 
boiler exploding- with plenty of water in it, if any part 
has corroded or been weakened so that a considerable 
portion of it is liable to give way at any time. The 
water in a steam boiler under pressure, is explosive, and 
anything that reduces the pressure suddenly, will precipi- 
tate an explosion. Return flue boilers are especially dan- 
perous when old, on account of the large flue. 

Testing a Boiler. To test an old boiler is not an easy 
matter. We advise makinq; the "cold water test" as follows : 
Fill the boiler nearly full of water and build a fire to heat 
the water luke warm. When this is done, withdraw the fire, 
fill the boiler to the top of the dome and attach a small hand 
pump. The steam gage Vv^ill register the pressure, which 
may be anything desired. The chill is taken off the water 
as the boiler is less liable to be strained when the iron is 
a little warm. The boiler may be tested with a hammer, 
but when coated with scale, this is not easy, even for an 
expert. The best way to test it is to go over the boiler with 
a straight-edge, carefully noting hov/ much the sheets are 
out of shape. This should be done first with no pressure, 
then repeating, increasing the pressure with the pump about 
twenty-five pounds at a time. On a locomotive boiler, the 
straight edge should be placed between the stay bolts. The 
parts exposed to the greatest heat should be examined par- 
ticularly, as should also the bottom of the shell and along 
the riveted seams, where it is liable to be corroded. If 
there be any doubt about any part, or if the straight-edge 



94 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

shows that the sheets spring or bulge with the pressure, the 
only way to be sure is to drill a small hole and determine the 
thickness. If found to be safe, the hole may be made tight 
by tapping and screwing in a copper plug. 

Another Method. A boiler may be tested without using 
a pump. In this case the boiler is filled with water to the very 
top of the dome before the fire is built, and the expansion of 
the water, as it increases in temperature, gives the desired 
pressure for testing. The boiler may be filled by removing 
the whistle or the pop-valve and pouring the water through 
its pipe. The throttle and all of the openings from the boiler 
must be closed before the fire is built. Straw should be 
used as fuel, as a fire of it may be quickly checked. When 
other fuel, such as pine kindling wood is used, very little 
should be allowed in the fire-box, and the fire carefully 
watched. Enough dirt, sand or a?hes should be at hand to 
check the fire at any instant. The pressure must be closely 
watched, and if it shows a tendency to rise too rapidly, or 
go too high, the fire must be covered. The pop-valve will 
open at the point at which it is set, in the same way as for 
steam pressure. 

Amount of Pressure. An old boiler should not be tested 
at a greater pressure than one hundred and fifty pounds, as 
higher ones are apt to strain and weaken the boiler. When 
a boiler has been tested at one hundred and fifty pounds 
cold water pressure, it m.ay be used at a working pressure 
of one hundred and twenty-five pounds. 



CHAPTER IX. 




THE TRACTION GEARING. 

HEN the traction gearing is used only in 
moving the engine from place to place, very 
little attention need be given to it. When, 
however, the engine is used for plowing or 
for hauling freight, the gearing must receive 
careful attention in order to prevent the pos- 
sibility of expensive repairs. The parts 
which require special attention on engines used for hauling 
heavy loads are the lower cannon bearing and the stud on 
which the intermediate gear runs. The pinions on the 
counter-shaft should mesh properly with the gears on the 
traction wheels. These may be set deeper into mesh on 
"Case" engines by adjusting the turn-buckles in the links, 
called "distance links," which connect the upper and lower 
cannon bearings. The springs which carry the weight of the 
boiler should not have too much leeway if the engine be 
used for heavy hauling. 

Oiling the Cannon Bearings. A quantity of oil may be 
poured into the upper and lower cannon bearings, which 
will insure the lubrication of the axle and counter-shaft, 
since it can only work out at the ends. The oil boxes 
should be partly filled with wool or waste, and all other 

95 



96 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



openings stopped by carefully fitted pieces of wood, in 
order to prevent sand and other gritty substances from enter- 
ing the cannon bearings. 

Greasing the Gearing. The gearing should be kept well 
coated with axle grease. It is true that many men argue 




FIG. 30. CUT SHOWING Cx^NNON BEARINGS AND GEARING. 

that grease collects and holds sand which will cause cutting 
of gears. To prove the fallacy of this belief, however, it is 
only necessary to observe the gearing on engines which have 
been run by men of this opinion. In many cases, the gearing- 
will be found more badly worn than its use would warrant. 
The Friction Clutch. The friction clutch is used to con- 
nect the engine to the traction gearing and wheels. By 
means of it, the engine may be made to travel as slowly as 
desired, while the engine proper is running at full speed. 
When the clutch is in partial engagement, the shoes, (A), 



THE TRACTION GEARING. 



97 



(Fig. 30), press lightly against the rim of the fly-wheel, 
transmitting only part of its motion to the gearing. But when 
in full engagement, the shoes press so hard against the rim of 
the fly-wheel that they prevent slipping, thus locking the fly- 
wheel and pinion, (C), together. The two shoes are hinged 
to the ends of the arm, (B). This arm has a long sleeve, 
which is loose upon the shaft, but at the end of which the 
pinion, (C), is firmly keyed. The sliding ring, (D), (Fig. 
31), is loose upon the sleeve, and when moved toward the fly- 
wheel, straightens the toggle levers, thus pressing the shoes 

against the rim of the fly- 
wheel. The sliding ring is 
moved by means of the trun- 
nion ring, (E), which re- 
mains stationary, but allows 
the sliding ring to revolve 
within it. The trunnion ring 
is held to the sliding ring 
by means of the clamp ring, 
(F). 

Adjusting the Clutch. 
The wear on the shoes is 
taken up by means of the 
turn-buckles in the toggle levers. They should be so ad- 
justed that the toggle levers will just pass the straight line 
when the clutch is in engagement, thus relieving the trunnion 
ring of all side friction ; they should also be so adjusted as 




FIG. 31. FRICTION CLUTCH. 



98 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



to produce equal tension on both shoes, or undue friction 
will be produced on the sliding- ring making the lever bard 
to handle. A good way to adjust the turnbuckles is to apply 
a large wrench to them, when the clutch is in engagement, 
and lengthen the toggle levers until the shoes are pressed 
hard against the rim. In this manner, the shoes can be given 
equal and sufficient pressure and when the clutch is drawn 
out of engagement, the shoes will clear the rim. Of course, 
the jam-nuts must be loosened before adjusting and tight- 
ened afterwards. The inside end of the fly-wheel hub should 
touch the end of the clutch sleeve, or the sliding ring cannot 
carry the toggle levers beyond the straight line. The 
wooden shoes are easily replaced when worn out. 

Examine the clutch and see 
that it is properly adjusted be- 
fore starting up or down a very 
steep hill. If it be in good order, 
it will not fail to do its work. 

Oiling the Clutch. When the 
engine is traveling the entire 
clutch moves together with the 
exception of the trunnion- 
ring. This, then, should be oiled when the engine is on the 
road. When threshing, the clutch remains stationary, while 
the shaft revolves within it. The long sleeve should then 
be oiled and also the end of the fly-wheel hub wbere it 
comes in contact with the end of the sleeve. There are 




FIG. 32. 

SECTION OF CLUTCH-ARM 
AND RINGS. 



THE TRACTION GEARING. 



99 



eight or nine oil-holes in the sleeve, three of which are drilled 
between the teeth of the pinion. There is also an oil-hole 
in the upper trunnion of the trunnion-ring. 




FIG. 33. REAR VIEW OF ''"cASE" TRACTION ENGINE. 

The Differential Gear. In order to have both traction 
wheels pull, when the engine is traveling either forward or 
backward, and at the same time allow one wheel to travel 
further than the other in turning corners, the differential gear 
is necessary. It transmits the power from the intermediate 
g^ar to the two counter-shaft pinions, which mesh with the 



lOO SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

Spur gears on the traction wheels. The four bevel pinions 
are carried by the center casting, and mesh with two bevel 
gears, one of which is cast in one piece with the right-hand 
counter-shaft pinion, (which is loose upon the shaft), and 
the other of which is keyed to the counter-shaft and drives 
the left-hand counter-shaft pinion, (which is also keyed to 
the shaft). It will be seen that when the engine travels 
straight ahead, both counter-shaft pinions turn with the shaft 
and the whole differential revolves as one piece. In turning- 
corners, however, the bevel pinions revolve, permitting one 
of the counter-shaft pinions to revolve faster than the other, 
thus allowing the traction wheels to accommodate themselves 
to the curve of the road. The differential spur wheel is a 
separate piece from the center casting, the power being trans- 
mitted from the rim to the center casting through coil 
springs, which relieve the gearing of the shocks of starting 
and stopping the engine. 

Locking the Differential. When both traction wheels 
have resistance, they pull equally, but if the engine be "jacked 
up" until one of them is off the ground and free to turn, 
then when the engine is started, the differential gear will 
allow the free traction wheel to revolve at twice its usual 
speed, while the traction wheel on the ground will scarcely 
pull at all. Revolving at twice its usual speed means that 
the free traction wheel makes one revolution to nine of the 
fly-wheel, instead of, to the usual eighteen. Often, when 
one wheel is in a slippery place, it will spin around, while 



THE TRACTION GEARING. 



lOI 



the other on soUd ground remains still without pulling at 
all. To provide for such emergencies, the hub of the left 
traction wheel is made so that a pin can be inserted and both 
wheels locked to the axle. This, of course, makes both trac- 
tion wheels revolve together, and prevents the differential 
gear from working. The engine must be steered straight 
when the lock-pin is used, or broken gearing is liable to 
result. 




FIG. 34. THE DIFFERENTIAL GEAR, SHOWING SPRINGS 

Oiling the Differential. The journals of the bevel-pin- 
■ons in the differential and the hub of the left traction wheel 
should be oiled occasionally. The left-hand or inside bevel- 



102 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

gear turns upon the shaft, when the differential-gear works, 
and accordingly, it should be oiled occasionally through the 
hole provided for this purpose in its hub. The bevel-pinions 
also revolve about their shafts. An oil-hole is drilled through 
the center of each of these shafts, to provide for oiling them, 
as is shown in Fig. 32. The hub of the left traction wheel 
turns upon the axle in turning corners, and therefore should 
be oiled occasionally. This is done by removing the cap- 
screws in the hub of the traction wheel. 



CHAPTER X. 



WATER-TANKS. 




HE threshing- outfit, to be complete, must be 
provided with nrst-class water-tanks. A 
leaky tank is very apt to cause delay. One 
that is liable to break down mav entirelv cut 
off the water supply for a time. The axles 
are wet much of the time and therefore, rot 
very fast and are apt to break witliout warn- 
ing. Waiting for water for any cause should not be tol- 
erated by the man in charge of a threshing outfit, and one 
whose duty it is to haul water should never allovv^ the rig 
to be idle for lack of it. In localities where the farms are 
small and water may be had near at hand, one mounted 
tank does very well, as the platform tank, (with which an 
engine is usually equipped), will furnish the water while 
the mounted tank is being refilled. In localities where the 
water must sometimes be hauled a mile or more, tvv'O mounted 
tanks are generally used, or if only one be used, three or four 
barrels should be provided to use in addition to the plat- 
form tank. 

"Engine Tenders. Within the last fev^ years engine ten- 
ders have come largely into use and they are very conven- 
ient, especially where most of the threshing is done around 

103 



104 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

barns and it is necessary to back the engine more or less. 
The engine tender does what its name impHes, that is, it 
keeps a supply of coal and water near at hand. 

Tank Ptunps. At least one tank with each outfit should 
haA^e a tank pump, with a capacity of about two barrels a 
minute. The pump is of use not only in filling the tank, but 
also in rapidly transferring water from it to the platform 
tank, engine tender, or barrels. When equipped with a 
sprinkling hose, it is also useful in washing out the boiler. 

Attaching ''Case'' Tender. Remove the tank from under 
the platform. Place the tender in position behind the engine 
and put in the draw-pin. Turn the front axle of the engine 
square, measuring on each side with a string or tape from 
the traction wheel of the engine. Place the tender axle 
square, measuring from the traction wheels in like manner. 
Now connect the steering chains. They pass from the tender 
axle, above the step, along the sides of the fire-box and pass 
over the reach-rod, crossed, the right chain going to the 
left end and the left chain to the right end of the front axle. 
An eye-bracket, (56R), is placed on each side of the fire- 
box, near the bottom, through which the chains pass. To 
locate the holes for bolting these on, hold one of them in 
position, (with the bolt holes down), between the second 
and third rivet from the front, in the horizontal row of 
rivets along the sides, so that the center of the bolt holes 
will be four and three-eighths inches from the bottom of the 
sheet. Mark the holes throucrh the casting and drill them 



WATER-TANKS. 



105 



with a nine-sixteenths inch drill. This will bring the heads 
of the one-half inch bolts inside of the ash pan. The chain 
brackets on the front axle of the engine are placed so that 
the chain is above the axle. The position of these brackets 
is given in the table below. 



Size 
Engike 


Distanc of 

Draw Eye 

from Ground 


Diameter of 

Wheels on 

Tender 


Distance 

Front to Rear 

Axle 

of Engine 


Distance 

from KearEn. 

prine Axle to 

Tender Axle 


Distance 
apart of Con- 
nections on 
Tender Axle 


Distance 
apart of Con- 
nections on 
Front Engine 
Axle 




Inches. 


Inches. 


Inches 


Inches 


Inches 


Inches 


9 H. P. 
12 H. P. 
15 H. v. 
20 H. P. 

25 K. P. 


25^;^ 

29 

29 
32 

32 


30 
34 
34 

42 
42 


98 
113 
126 

134M 

142K 


86^ 

87 

87 

87 

87K 


37 
37 
37 
37 
37 


32K 

28M 

24 
22^ . 



The chains must not be allowed to get too loose. The 
wear may be taken up by means of the turn-buckles. If 
they are too taut, the engine will steer hard. AVhen con- 
nected according to these directions, the tender will retain 
its alignment while following the engine backward or for- 
ward, around any curve. 

Attaching to Other Engines. For engines of other make, 
to find the distance the chains should be apart on the front 
axle, first place the tender in position and place the front 
axle of the engine and the axle of the tender square. Then 
measure the distance of the tender axle from the rear axle 
of the engine and multiply this number by the distance in 
inches between the chain connections on the tender axle, 



T06 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

(thirty-seven inches). Divide this product by the distance 
of the front axle of the engine from the rear axle of the 
engine. The numbers must be in inches in every case and 
the quotient so obtained will be the distance the chains should 
be apart on the front axle of the engine. If it be impossible 
to put them the required distance apart on the engine axle, 
assume some distance between the connections on the tender 
axle and figure it again, substituting the assumed distance. 
To find the diameter of the wheels for the tender, subtract 
eleven from the number of inches the engine draw-eye is 
from the ground and multiply the remainder by two ; the 
product will be the required diameter, in inches, of the tender 
wheels. Three sizes of wheels are furnished, thirty inch, 
thirty-four inch and forty-two inch. The parts necessary 
to attach the tender to ''Case" center-crank engines can also 
be furnished. 




CHAPTER XL 
HORSE-POWERS. 

HE horse-power, which, at one time, was the 
principal means of driving threshing- 
machines, is still used to a considerable ex- 
tent for this purpose. With a sufficient num- 
ber of good, strong horses, this means of 
supplying the motive power for threshing is 
very satisfactory, and, owing to the fact that 
the investment involved in a horse-power outfit is consider- 
ably less than is required for a steam rig, it is probable that 
the horse-power will continue its usefulness in this industry 
for many years to come. The present style of metal-frame 
power is superior to the wood-frame because it is not sub- 
ject to atmospheric conditions, which continually cause the 
swelling and shrinking of wood. 

Starting a N^eznf Horse-Pozver. The first thing to do in 
preparing a new power for work is to carefully clean the 
cinders from the oil-boxes. Next, oil each of the bearings 
and thoroughly grease all the gearing, turning the power by 
hand until the entire wearing surface is well lubricated. A 
new power should be run at least half an hour before being 
coupled to the separator or other machine to be run. If the 
horses be nervous, because unused to the work, put a man 

107 



I08 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

with each team until they are accustomed to tlie noise and to 
travehng in a circle. 

Setting a Horse-Pozver. A horse-power, to work prop- 
erly, must be securely held in position. To do this, it is 
necessary to use at least four stakes, each of which should 
be about three feet long. The power should be set in align- 
ment with the separator so that the tumbling-rods are as 
straight as possible. As it is almost impossible to secure 
the power so that it will not shift slightly when started, it 
is best to make allowance for this when setting. The line 
of rods cannot be straight horizontally, as one end must 
attach to the spur-pinion shaft of the power and the other 
to the bevel-gear shaft of the separator, while the second 
rod from the power must lie near the ground in order to 
allow the horses to walk over it. The angles in the line of 
rods necessary to meet these conditions are taken care of by 
the knuckles connecting them, but the angles should be care- 
fully divided so that they are as slight as possible at each 
knuckle. When run at great angles, knuckles consume con- 
siderable power and cause excessive and unnecessary work 
on the part of the horses. 

Lubrication of the Horse-Pozver. There are two bull- 
pinion boxes, (an upper and lower), and two center-boxes 
at each end, making eight boxes in all, to be oiled on the 
bull-pinion shafts. There are also two spur-pinion shaft 
boxes and the journals of the traverse-rollers to be oiled. 
All the gearing and the bottom and the top of the bull-wheel 



HORSE-PUWERS. 



109 



rim should be coated with good axle grease. When the 
grease becomes hard and caked with dirt, it should be cleaned 
off and fresh grease applied. 

Connecting the Equalizers. The following cut shows a 
top view of a fourteen-horse power with "sweeps," braces 




FIG. 35. TOP VIEW OF POWER WITH SWEEPS AND EQUALIZER 

ATTACHED. 



and equalizer-rods attached. In hooking the equalizer-rods, 
always hook the ends of two rods in the end ring of the 



no 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



chains. The ring near the center of each chain is merely a 
stop and the rods should never be hooked into it. 

Speed of the Tumbling-Rods. The use of the sixteen- 
cog pinion, which gives one-hundred and one revolutions of 
the tumbling-rods to one round of the horses, is recom- 
mended, and will ordinarily run the cylinder of a "Case" 
separator at the proper speed. The following table gives a 
complete list of spur-pinions for "Case" horse-powers, any 
of which may be obtained if desired. 







v 

V 


3« 


bling- 
make 
rmin. 


bling- 
make 
rmin. 


V 


1 




■ a 

.s 

(LI 

u 




v 

a 


Rev. of turn 
rod to one of 

wheel. 


Speed of turn 
rod if horses 
2% rounds pe 


Speed of turn 
rod if horses 
2K rounds pe 


B 
•i: 

V. 



V 

>> 

CO 


4>^W 


1II/32 


15 


107 


267 


241 


Wood 


4 W 


1IV32 


16 


lOI 


252 


227 


Wood 


4MW 


1 11/32 


17 


95 


237 


214 


Wood 


9 W 


1II/32 


18 ■ 


90 


225 


202 


Wood 


7 W 


1II/32 


20 


81 


202 


182 


Wood 


4XW 


1 11/32 


21 


76 


190 


171 


Wood 


8 W 


1II/32 


22 


73 


182 


164 


Wood 


A212W 


1I/2 


15 


107 


267 


241 


Iron 


212W 


1I/2 


16 


lOI 


252 


227 


Iron 


213W 


1I/2 


17 


95 


237 


214 


Iron 


A9W 


1I/2 


18 


90 


225 


202 


Iron 


A7W 


1 1/2 


20 


81 


202 


182 


Iron 


A8W 


1I/2 


22 


73 

i 


182 


164 


Iron 



Separator Side-Gear. A separator must be fitted with a 
side-gear, or a jack must be used, in order to be driven by 
means of a horse-power. A speed of 750 revolutions for 
the twenty -bar or 1075 for the twelve-bar cylinder of "Case" 
separators fitted with a side-gear, requires a tumbling-rod 



II UKSE- PU W ERS . Ill 

Speed of about 227 revolutions per minute. The required 
speed of the tumbling-rods is found, in each case, by multi- 
plying the number of revolutions of the cylinder by the num- 
ber of teeth on the cylinder-pinion and dividing the product 
by the number of teeth on the bevel-gear. 

Jacks for Horse-Pozvers. The device used to change the 
motion of the tumbling-rods into that of a pulley is called 
a "jack." The "Case" jack has a bevel-gear, (208T), with 
sixty teeth and a pinion, (209T), with twenty-two teeth. 
The pulley, (206T), is sixteen inches in diameter and has 
a six-inch face. 

Adjusting the Iron-Frame Horse-Power. It is very im- 
portant that the bull-pinions should mesh properly with the 
bull-wheel. When the bull-pinion shafts are correctly set, 
the bull-wheel will not have more than one-sixteenth of an 
inch up and down play at any point. As the web between 
the upper and lower cogs of the bull-wheel varies in thick- 
ness, it is best to locate the thickest place and mark it. 
This part may be then turned between the bull-pinions and 
the shaft bearings adjusted so that the gears mesh as deeply 
as possible and at the same time allow the bull-wheel to pass 
freely between them. In building powers at the factory 
leather packing is placed between the box of the upper 
short bull-pinion shaft and the main frame It is the inten- 
tion to shave down this leather packing from time to time 
as the bearings wear, thus allowing the bull-pinions to be 
kept in proper mesh by means of set screws. The box of the 



112 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

lower short bull-pinion shaft has no leather between it and 
the main frame; however, it can be set deeper in gear at 
any time by turning its set-screw from below. The main 
spur-wheel shaft is not adjustable and the set screws bear- 
ing against its boxes are used only to prevent them from 
becoming loose in their slots. Adjustable slides are placed 
above and below the bull-vvheel. Those below have set- 
screw adjustment, and should be adjusted, as they wear, so 
that the bull-wheel just clears the lower bull-pinions. The 
top slides prevent the up and down movement of the bull- 
wheel, and should be set down as they wear. The traverse- 
rollers prevent the bull-v/heel from crowding endwise on the 
bull-pinions. They should be set out by the key adjustment 
as they wear. The spur-pinion frame is secured by four 
five-eighths inch bolts in slotted holes. These allow adjust- 
ment of the pinion so that it may be made to mesh properly 
with the spur-wheel. When properly set, the pitch circles 
will touch and the spur-pinion shaft will be parallel with the 
spur-wheel shaft. 

Caution Concerning the Bull-Pinion Boxes. The bull- 
pinion boxes, Siy^W and 8i^W, have flanges which hook 
over the outside of the main frame, thus preventing them 
from crowding toward the center. When these boxes have 
been removed, care must be taken in replacing them to insure 
these flanges hooking over the outside of the frame, for if 
they be placed too far toward the center of the pov/er, these 
flanges may come in contact with the box seat and prevent 



HOUSE- POWERS. 1 13 

the bull-pinions from meshing as deeply as they should with 
the bull-wheel. To prevent their getting loose, the large 
set-screws are locked by means of small set-screws, which 
bear against their threads. 

Removing the SJiafts. To take out the spur-wheel shaft, 
remove the four bolts that secure the cross-pieces to the 
main frame, and drop them, together with the spur-pinion 
frame, to the ground. Next remove the four bolts securing 
the bull-pinion boxes and those securing the center boxes, 
after which the spur-wheel shaft may be taken out without 
disturbing the gears keyed to it. The short bull-pinion 
shafts have trunnion-boxes at their inner ends, which permit 
movement sufficient to allow the shafts to be removed. It 
is necessary to remove the wood piece with slide attached, 
which is on the rear axle. 

Reversing the Gearing. The bull- wheel ma\' be turned 
over, the short shafts interchanged and the spur-wheel shaft 
reversed, (end for end), so that the teeth of all the gearing 
may be worn on both their faces. 

Reverse Motion of Tuinbling-Rods. The direction in 
which the tumbling-rods revolve may be reversed so that 
they turn in the same direction as that in which the horses 
walk, instead of turning, as usual, in the opposite direction. 
When reverse motion is necessary for driving machinery 
other than "Case" separators, proceed to attach the parts 
as follows : First, bore a one and one-half inch hole in rear 
axle, two and three-eisfhths inches from its toD and five and 



114 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

one-half inches from the center of the bolt holding the cast- 
ing, 184W or 222 W. Then bolt steady-bearing, 104W, on 
the inside of the axle with seven-sixteenths by four and 
three-fourths inch bolts. Next put the knuckle on the spur- 
pinion shaft and connect it with the short rod, 0125W, 
which passes through the casting, 104W, and through the 
hole in the axle. 

Attaching Truck-Brake to Iron-Frame Horse-Power. 
Put the brake pipe under the main frame with casting 210W, 
face down and on the right-hand side. The pipe is located 
between the two five-eighths inch hooks and rear wheel, 
the short ends of the hooks coming outside of the iron 
frame. In order to prevent the nuts from working loose, 
the ends of the hooks may be riveted. When this is done, 
casting 32 iW may be bolted on top of the flange of the main 
frame. A hole to receive it will be found on the front end 
of the power frame. Next insert the iron lever into its socket, 
210W, and tighten the set-screws, which should not be 
tightened too much, or they will cause unnecessary strain 
on casting 210W. Put the ratchet in casting 232 W with 
the hole down and with the notches turned towards the 
front. Then, put it in the notch that holds the brake from 
the wheels, and bolt it to the brake lever below. Place the 
brake-block casting, 208W, on the right end of the pipe and 
209W on the left; bring the blocks against the wheels and 
turn the set screws up tight ; then loosen and remove, and 
with a file or cold chisel, flatten a place on the pipe for the 



HORSE- POWERS. II5 

set-screws. This will prevent the pipe from turning in 
these castings. The pipe is countersunk for the set-screws 
in 210W, these set-screws being tightened at the factory. 
The key with straps should be nailed to the driver's platform. 
This is used to prevent the brake from dropping onto the 
wheels when not wanted. The brake is applied by the foot. 
Do not press the ratchet down harder than necessary. 

The Spur-Wheel and Bull-Pinion Shafts. The key- 
seats of these shafts are cut in line with each other and 
those in the bull-pinions and inside-pinions are cut with 
reference to one of their teeth so that when the pinions are 
keyed to the shaft, their teeth will be in line. It will be seen 
that if the shaft has been twisted so that the teeth of the 
pinions are even slightly out of line, the power cannot be 
made to run properly. A new spur-wheel shaft is the only 
remedy for such a condition. 

Work Done by Horses. The sweeps of the twelve-horse 
power and smaller sizes are twelve feet and seven inches 
long, and their ends move in a circle the circumference of 
which is seventy-nine feet. The sweeps of the fourteen- 
horse power are fourteen feet long, and their ends move in 
a circle, the circumference of which is eighty-nine feet. 
Horses ordinarily travel around the seventy-nine foot circle 
two and one-half times a minute, and around the eighty-nine 
foot circle two and one-fourth times a minute, in either case 
covering about two and one-fourth miles per hour. The term 
*'horse-power" (the standard measure of power) is defined 



Il6 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

as the power necessary to raise 33.000 pounds one foot per 
ininute. A horse walks two hundred feet per minute in 
travehng around the eighty-nine foot circle t¥/o and one- 
quarter times per minute so that to do work equal to one 
"horse-power" it is necessary for it to pull only one-hundred 
and sixty-five pounds, which is the quotient of 33,000 di- 
vided hy 200. This quotient does not allow for the friction 
of the machine. 

TJie Number of Horses. When desired for light work, 
the regular twelve-horse power with six sweeps may be used 
with only six horses by tying up equalizers on the empty 
sweeps and attaching teams to alternate svv'eeps, or by hitch- 
ing a single horse to each sweep. In the same manner any 
of the other sizes of horse-powers may be used with half 
the usual number of horses. Since different numbers of 
sweeps are used the holes in the bull-wheel are marked with 
dots so that the brackets and end-supports for the sweeps 
may be easily placed in their proper positions. One of each 
of these castings should be first bolted to the holes with 
three dots near them for this set of holes is used with any 
number of levers. Bull-wheel 89W has the dots at the side 
of the holes for twelve horses, inside of the holes for ten 
horses, and outside of the holes for eight horses. Bull- 
wheel loW has the dots at the sides of the holes for twelve 
horses, inside of the holes for ten horses and outside of the 
holes for fourteen horses. 



HORSE-POWERS. 



II' 




O 
I— « 

O 



[in 
O 

> 

> 

< 

o 

H 



CO 

d 



tt8 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



PARTS USED ON IRON AND WOOD FRAME POWERS. 



S and lo 
Horse Size. 



4>^W 


212 


W 


OI22 


W 


89 


w 


2 


w 


90 


w 


OI2I 


w 


3 


w 


0123 


w 


8IXW 


Si^^W 


220 


w 


121 


w 


122 


w 


227 


w 


188 


w 


189 


w 


190 


w 


225 


w 


193 


w 


218 


w 


219 


w 


197 


w 


199 


w 


229 


w 


230 


w 


204 


w 


214 


w 


215 


w 


216 


w 


217 


w 


55 


w 


56 


w 


19 


w 


20 


w 


48 


w 


49 


w 


50 


w 


52 


w 


75 


w 


76>^W 


/8 


w 


82 


w 


163 


X 



12 and 14 
Horse Size, 



4>^W 

212 W 

0122 w 

10 w 

15 w 

16 w 
012 1 w 

43 W 

0124 W 

45 W 

45>^W 

182 W 

183 w 
185 w 

187 w 

188 w 

189 w 

190 w 

191 w 
193 w 

218 w 

219 w 
197 w 
199 w 

202 w 

203 w 

204 w 

214 w 

215 w 

216 w 

217 w 

12 W 

13 w 
19 w 

40 w 

48 w 

49 W 

50 w 

52 w 

75 W 
76KW 

78 w 

82 w 

163 X 



Iron or 

Wood 

Frames 



NAME OF PART. 



Wood 

Iron 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Iron 

Wood 

Wood 

Wooa 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 

Wood 



Spur-pinion. 

Spur-pinion. 

Spur-pinion shaft. 

Bull-wheel. 

Bull-pinion, 

Inside-pinion. 

Inside-pinion shaft. 

Spur-wheel. 

Spur-wheel shaft. 

Half bull-pinion box. 

Other half bull-pinion box. 

Cast frame for power. 

Rear-axle bracket, R. H. 

Rear-axle bracket, L. PI. 

Top cap for bull-pinion box. 

Top slide holder. 

Top slide for bull-wheel. 

Bottom cap for bull-pinion box. 

Center-box for spur-wheel shaft, R. H, 

Inside trunnion box for shaft. 

Front support for spur-gear frame. 

Rear support for spur-gear frame. 

Support for short shaft, center-box, L. H. 

Support for short shaft, center-box, R. H. 

Support for bull-wheel slide, P.ear. 

Support for bull-wheel slide, Front, 

Slide under bull-wheel. 

Spur-gear frame. 

Cap for spur-gear frame. 

Brake- wheel. 

Collar on spur-pinion shaft. 

Back support. 

Front Support. 

Support for center-box. 

Center-box for spur-wheel shaft. 

Cap for spur-gear frame. 

Back Stirrup for spur-gear frame. 

Front Stirrup for spur-gear frame. 

Spur-gear frame. 

Arch frame. 

Inside-box, inside-pinion .shaft. 

Cap to hold bull-pinion box. 

Slide under bull-wheel. 

Brake-wheel. 



PART 11. SEPARATORS. 



CHAPTER I. 




FITTING UP AND STARTING A NEW 
SEPARATOR. 

OME separators are shipped from the factory 
''set-up" with pulleys and all parts put on and 
all attachments in place. Others, for com- 
pactness, are shipped as they are stored, with 
tailings-elevator removed and tied on the deck, 
pulleys and other parts packed inside the ma- 
chine, and the attachments "knock-down" — 
that is, taken apart and small parts boxed. For ocean ship- 
ment, separators are taken apart so that all parts may be 
boxed. 

Scffiiig Up. In setting up a dismantled separator, care 
should be taken to see that all nuts and keys are properly 
tightened. The pulleys must be set in line to insure the belts 
running properly. The cuts showing belting arrangement 
will aid in placing the pulleys in their proper position. 
If the box of parts contains a list of its contents, 
the names and numbers will also help in determining 
the position of each. The crank-shaft which drives the 
straw-rack and conveyor should be put in with the long end 
to the right. 

Starting a Nezv Separator. A new machine should be 



122 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

set Up and run a couple of hours, before attempting to 
thresh any grain. Look into the machine on the straw rack, 
conveyor and fans, and then turn each shaft by hand a few 
revolutions to make sure there is nothing loose or misplaced 
in the machine, before putting on the belts. 

Oiling. The oil boxes should be carefully cleaned of 
cinders and dirt that may have collected during shipment, 
and the paint removed from the oil holes. Screw down the 
plugs of the grease cups on beater, fan and crank boxes to 
the end of the threads, using a wrench, if necessary, to clean 
off the paint. Fill the grease cups on beater, fan and crank 
boxes with hard oil aiid fill oil cups on cylinder boxes with 
a good lubricating oil. It is best to first place a small quan- 
tity of wool or cotton waste in the bottom of each oil-cup. 
Connect the separator with engine or other power, running 
orjly the cylinder for a time, and feeling of the boxes to ascer- 
tain whether they show any tendency to heat. While the 
cylinder is running, oil both ends of the crank pitmans, the 
four bearings of the rock shafts and the two of the tailer 
rock shaft if there be one. Take ofif the tightener pulley from 
its spindle, clean llie oil chambers and oil the spindle before 
replacing it. Put on the belt driving beater and crank (see 
cut page 1 70), which will put the beater, straw rack and 
conveyor in motion. Next oil the shoe-pitman eccentrics and 
the bearings of the shoe shaft if there be one. "> This shaft is 
driven from the fan on right side of machine (see cut page 
176). The fan belt, which runs over crank belt, but 



FITTING UP AND STARTING A NEW SEPARATOR. 1 23 

not under tightener (see cut page 170), and the shoe belt 
may be now run on. Oil the moving parts as they run, 
occasionally screwing down the grease plugs on crank- and 
fan-shaft boxes. The chain of the tailings elevator should 
be adjusted so that it has slack enough to turn freely, but 
not enough to allow it to kink or unhook. After oiling the 
upper boxes and both bearings of the tailings auger and the 
four of the tailings conveyor, run on the elevator belt, which 
drives from the crank, crossed, (see cut page 128). Oil the 
bearings of the grain auger and put on its belt. Where no 
grain elevator is used, this belt will go on either side of the 
machine, so that it may always be on the opposite side to 
that from which the grain is taken. 

When all parts of the separator are in motion the bear- 
ings should be carefully watched to detect any tendency to 
heat, and this can best be done when the machine is running 
empty, for the operator can then give it his entire attention. 
The machine has been tested and left the factory in good 
running order, but dirt and grit of shipment by rail is liable 
to cause trouble and it is best to make sure that all the bear- 
ings are oiled. It is of great importance that these bearings 
be well oiled on the first run, as they are somewhat rough, 
and consequently require more oil and a longer time for it 
to spread over the journals. Oiling a shaft as it runs, allows 
the oil to work in and be distributed over the whole bearing 
surface. 

When the machine has run for an hour or so and every- 



124 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

thing shown to be in good order, it is ready for threshing. 
After adjusting the concaves, check board, sieves and bhnds, 
to suit the kind and condition of grain, according to the 
directions given elsewhere in this book, grain may be run 
through the machine. 




CHAPTER II. 
SETTING THE SEPARATOR. 

\ HE separator may do good work if the rear 
'^f truck wheels be a few inches higher or lower 
P than the front wheels, but it must always be 
level crossways. Use a spirit level of good 
length on the rear axle and on the sills. A 
little practice or calculation will enable one 
to determine how deep a hole to dig in front 
of the high wheel in order to bring the machine level when 
pulled into it. Knowing the axles of the separator to be 
about twelve feet apart, it is easy to calculate how nuich the 
front or rear wliecls must be lowered to bring the machine 
level. For example, if a spirit level two feet'-' in length be 
used and when placed on the sill of machine its front end 
must be raised one-half inch to bring it level, then the rear 
wheels must be lowered six times as much, or three inches, 
to bring separator level. This method may also be used In 
determining the amount to lower one rear wheel to bring 
machine level crossways, which, as already stated, is more 
important than having it level lengthways. In this case, 
however, the amount is different for each size of separator. 



*In this case the distance between axles (twelve feet), is just six 
times the length of the lever, (two feet). 



125 



126 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

The hole or holes should he dug hefore the engine is un- 
coupled or the team unhitched, so that if not level, machine 
may be pulled out, the holes changed and the machine backed 
into them. When the machine is high in front, it can be 
quickly leveled, after engine or team has been removed, by 
cramping the front axle, digging in front of one wheel and 
behind the other, so that wheels will drop into the holes 
when pole is brought around square. 

With geared machines "bolster- jacks" are used to keep 
the *'side-gear" from twisting front end of machine out of 
level. The hind axle being level, place the bolster-jacks in 
position, and screw them up so as to level the front of ma- 
chine. It is not necessary to have the front axle level, as 
the bolster- jacks will accommodate themselves to it. 

Place a block in front of the right hind wheel to prevent 
the machine from being drawn forward by the belt. This 
block should be carried with the machine, so as to be handy 
when needed. 

When pulling the machine out of holes, starting it on 
soft ground or on a hill, cramp the team around to one side, 
and it will move the load Avith about half the effort necessary 
to start straight ahead. In cramping the front axle, but one 
of the hind wheels starts at a time. 

Setting zvith Reference to the Wind. The thresherman 
cannot always choose the direction in which to set the ma- 
chine, but when he can, he should select a position in which 
the wind will be blowing in the same general directions as 



SETTING THE SEPARATOR. \2'J 

that in whicli the straw Is moving, and preferabl}' a little 
''quartering," as this keeps the men out of the dust more 
than when set straight with the wind. This position insures 
greater safety from hre in case wood or straw is used as fuel. 



128 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 




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CHAPTER ITT. 




THE CYLINDER, CONCAVES AND BEATER. 

T is the function of the cylinder and concaves 
to loosen the kernels of grain from the straw 
on which thev 2:rew. The ends of the cvlin- 
der teeth travel about a mile a minute so that 
the grain in going through meets the con- 
cave teeth with considerable force. The con- 
cave teeth engage v/ith the cylinder teeth in 
such a way that the grain heads cannot pass through with- 
out beine broken and the kernels knocked out although the 
straw is in contact with the cylinder but a fraction of a 
second. If the teeth be in good condition and a sufficient 
number of rows of concave teeth be used to suit the work, 
practically all of the grain will be knocked out. 

Cylinder Teeth. When the cylinder is new or newly re- 
filled, care should be taken to keep the teeth tight until they 
become fitted to their holes and firmly seated. The cylinder 
should be gone over occasionally during the first week, and 
each tooth driven in hard with a heavy hammer and the 
nuts tightened. If this be done, ordinarily the teeth will 
give no further trouble, but if at any time they show a ten- 
dency to get loose, they should be carefully watched. At 

the factory the teeth are driven in and tightened with a long 

129 



130 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

handled anger wrench and then driven in and tightened 
again, but tlicy are liable to get loose the first few days unless 
special attention be paid them. If a tooth be allowed to re- 
main loose for any length of time the hole will become so 
misshapen that the tooth cannot be kept tight thereafter. The 
teeth should be kept straight, not only so they will not 
strike, but also so that they will pass at equal distances from 
the concave teeth on both sides. 

Cylinder Speed. It is very important that the cylinder 
run at the proper speed. If run too fast, there is danger of 
cracking the grain, and if run too slowly, it will not thresh 
clean. Then, too, the work of separation and cleaning is 
very much easier if the cylinder runs at the proper speed 
and is never allowed to get below it. The motion must be 
uniform if the best results be expected, for every time it is 
allowed to get much below or above the correct speed, the 
separator will waste grain. With the regular pulleys, the 
large 20-bar cylinder of -the Case separator should run at 
750 revolutions per minute to give the proper speed to the 
other parts of the machine. The regular speed of the small 
or i2-bar cylinder is 1075 revolutions per minute. In thresh- 
ing tough rye or oats, the cylinder is subjected to more work, 
and often runs too slowly if attempt be made to maintain 
the normal speed, therefore, the cylinder should run faster 
than usual, say, 800 for the 20-bar and 11 50 for the i2-bar, 
in order that the other parts of the machine may run up to 
their usual speed. Some grains and legumes require special 



THE CYLINDER, CONCAVES AND BEATER. 



131 



cylinder speed for which a change in cyhnder pulleys is 
usually made. Tliese are given elsewhere in this book. 

MAIN CYLINDER PUIvLEYS. 



Number. 


Diainetel". 


I'acc. 


Bore. 


MACHINK. 


5564T 


6 " 


9 '' 


1% " 


12~Bar Wood. 


761T 


1%" 


8 " 


I^ " 


12-Bar Steel or Wood. 


501T 


•6%" 


8 " 


I^" 


12-Bar Steel or Wood. 


501KT 


8X" 


S " 


I^'^ 


12-Bar Wood. 


I867T 


S>^" 


8 " 


IVio" 


12-Bar Wood. 


861T 


83/" 


8 '' 


lYi " 


12-Bar Steel or Wood. 


5004T 


^)r 


9 " 


i>^" 


12-Bar Steel or Wood. ^ 
12-Bar Wood. ^ 


5005T 


9%" 


9 " 


1% ^' 


5006T 


9}r 


9 " 


2>^" 


12-Bar Wood. 


500T 


9/8" 


S " 


I)^" 


i2-Bar Steel or Wood. 


505 iT 


10^" 


9 " 


^}i" 


12-Bar Steel or Wood . 


• 5052T 


loyr 


9 " 


I^" 


12-Bar Wood. 


5053T 


loX" 


9 " 


2/8" 


12-Bar Wood. 


5441T 


10 '' 


9%" 


2-/10" 


20-Bar Steel or Wood. 


5367T 


IIK" 


9%" 


2yu:" 


20-Bar Steel or Wood. 


5368T 


12 " 


9%" 


2^A.-." 


20-Bar Steel or Wood. 


5294T 


I3M'' 


9 " 


2%o" 


20-Bar Steel or Wood. 


A5294T 


14/8" 


9}r 


2-/16" 


20-Bar Steel or Wood. 


5440T 


15%" 


9'4" 


2-/10" 


20-Bar Steel or Wood. 


5369T 


16 " 


9)i" 


2-/10" 


20-Bar Steel or Wood. 


5372T 


26 " 


9 " 


2Vio" 


20-Bar Steel or Wood, 



Ascertaining^ Cylinder Speed. The best way to as- 
certain the speed is by means of a revolution counter, 
but if one be not at hand, the speed may be found 
by counting the number of times the main drive belt 
goes around in a minute. To do this, multiply the re- 
quired speed of the cylinder by the circumference of the 
cylinder pulley in inches and divide by 12 to reduce to feet. 
Dividing by the length of the belt in feet will give the re- 
quired number of times belt should go around in a minute. 
For example : If cylinder be a 20-bar, its speed should be 



132 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESFIING. 

750 and the regular pulley 5294T for this is 13^ inches in 
diameter or 42 inches in circumference. Multiplying 750 by 
42 gives 31,500 inches as the product. Dividing this by 12 
to reduce to feet gives 2625 feet per minute as the required 
travel of the belt. If this be 120 feet long, dividing by 120 
gives 22 (nearly) as the required number of rounds of the 
belt per minute. With a 150 foot belt, the number of rounds 
will be nearly 18 or vith 160 foot belt 17 (nearly) 
rounds. In the same manner, the required number of rounds 
can be figured for any cylinder speed, cylinder pulley or 
length of belt. 

Cylinder Boxes. The cylinder boxes are the most im- 
portant bearings on a separator and they must receive a cer- 
tain amount of attention or there will be trouble. All Case 
20 bar cylinders are fitted with ball and socket boxes, which 
practically eliminate all possibility of their heating from 
Improper alignment. The boxes are eight inches long, allow- 
ing a good bearing surface for these large cylinders and are 
fitted with oil cups which hold a sufficient quantity of oil to 
amply lubricate the bearings. The 12 bar cylinders of the 
steel separators also have ball and socket or "self-aligning" 
boxes. The chapter on ''Lubrication and Hot Boxes" should 
be read with special reference to the cylinder boxes. 

To Take ''End Play" Out of the Cylinder. Loosen lower 
half of housing of box by slacking the nuts which secure it, 
and slide it against hub of cylinder head. The holes in the 
ironsides are slotted to allow for this end adjustment and also 



THE CYLINDER, CUxN CAVES AND BEATER. 1 33 

to permit the moving of the cyhnder in case the cylinder teeth 
do not come exactly between the concave teeth. Do not 
crowd cylinder box so hard against the cylinder head as to 
cause danger of heating. It is best to leave about 1/64 of 
an inch end play. 

Tracking of Teeth. All regular Case 20 bar cylinders 
have five teeth which pass in the same space between the con- 
cave teeth, during one revolution, "five teeth tracking" as it 
is called. The 12 bar cylinders have three teeth tracking. 
Some machines of other manufacture have two and some 
four teeth tracking, and some have irregular spacing, as. for 
example, three and six alternating. The effect of this latter 
arrangement is to take twice as much straw through some 
concave spaces as through others. 

Cracking Grain. The cut on the following page is full 
size and shows the actual distance between the concave and 
cylinder teeth of our regular cylinder. It Is shown to em- 
phasize the importance of having the cylinder properly ad- 
justed endwise and of keeping the teeth straight. Supposing 
all the teeth to be straight and that the cylinder be moved 
1/16 of an inch to one end. Then instead of there being 1/8 
of an inch space between the cylinder and concave teeth on 
both sides, the cylinder teeth would be 3/16 of an inch from 
the concave teeth on one side and only 1/16 of an Inch from 
them on the other. This condition of affairs would allow 
the heads to slip through without being threshed on one side 
of the teeth and on the other would crack the grain and cut 



134 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 




I INSIDE CY TjnSER B.AR] 



OUTSIDE CYLINDER BAR 




FIG. 39. CUT SHOWING SPACE BETWEEN CYLINDER AND 
CONCAVE TEETH FULL SIZE. 



THE CYLINDER, CONCAVES AND BEATER. I35 

Up the straw, thereby consuming much power, increasing 
the difficulties of separation and making the sieves handle a 
large amount of chaff. This same condition exists when 
all of the teeth are more or less bent. The cylinder may be 
moved endwise, as already explained, to give the proper 
spaces between the teeth, but the teeth must be kept straight. 

Special Cylinders, To do good work in rice a special 
cylinder and concave are required with a wider spacing of the 
teeth than the regular ones. This gives more clearance be- 
tween the cylinder and concave teeth and, together with a 
reduced speed, prevents the cylinder from cracking the rice. 
A special cylinder and concaves are also made for threshing 
peas and beans. Either of these special cylinders may be 
put in any Case separator by making the complete change 
in cylinder, concaves and concave circles. Further informa- 
tion regarding threshing rice, peas, beans, etc., is given else- 
where in this book. 

Balaneing Cylinders. On account of the high speed at 
which cylinders run, they must be accurately balanced or 
they will not run smoothly. It is essential in balancing a cyl- 
inder that the weights used for this purpose be placed where 
the deficiency of weight exists. The shop practice is to rest 
the journals of a cylinder on level ways and put weights 
under center bands until the cylinder will stand at any 
point on the ways. The cylinder is then put in a frame 
having narrow, loosely fitting wooden boxes and run at 
about 1200 revolutions per minute. The parts of the jour- 



136 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

nals extending beyond the boxes are marked as it rims. 
These marks show the initiated at which end and at what 
point to drive the weights used in the final balancing. A 
cylinder may be balanced, though not as perfectly as is done 
at the factory, by resting it on ways made by placing two 
carpenter's squares on wooden horses. The squares should 
have blocks nailed on each side to keep them on edge, and 
should be carefully leveled both ways. Place the cylinder 
near the center of the ways and roll it gently. Mark with 
a piece of chalk the bar that is uppermost when it comes to 
rest. Repeat, and if cylinder stops in the same position three 
times in succession, drive a wedge under center band at the 
chalk mark. Rub off the marks and repeat until the cylin- 
der comes to rest at any point. Care should be taken not to 
mar the journals in placing them on the ways. 

The Concaves. All that has been said about keeping the 
cylinder teeth tight applies also to the concave teeth. They 
should be driven in and tightened as often as necessary, 
until they are firmly seated. In driving them in, it is neces- 
sary, however, to use some judgment, for as the concaves 
are of cast iron, they are liable to split if the teeth are driven 
in too hard. 

Setting the Concaves. The concaves should be adjusted 
to suit the kind and condition of grain. Four rows of teeth 
are usually required for wheat and barley, but for damp 
grain six rows will be necessary. Rye can usually be 
threshed with two rows, but the cylinder speed should be 



THE CYLINDER, CONCAVES AND BEATER. 1 37 

higher than for wheat. Oats when dry can generally be 
threshed with two rows of teeth, but flax and timothy will 
require six rows. Where four are used, they are most 
effective if one concave be placed clear back and one in front 
with a blank in the center. In hand feeding, if the straw 
be dry and brittle, the cylinder can be given more ''draw" 
by placing a blank in front. Always use as few teeth, and 
leave them as low as is possible and thresh clean. When 
more teeth than are required are used, or when they are left 
higher than is necessary, the straw will be cut up, and, be- 
sides using more power, the separation is made much more 
difficult, and the sieves are obliged to handle an unnecessarily 
large amount of chopped straw\ It Is better to use two rows 
set clear up, than four rows left low. Sometimes a row of 
teeth is taken out of a concave, making it possible to use 
one, three or five rows. 

Special Concaves. Some grains, as for example, Turkey 
wheat, are extremely difficult to thresh from the head, and 
if it be found that the regular six rows will not thresh clean, 
a three-row concave, filled with corrugated teeth, should be 
procured. This, with two regular concaves, will give seven 
rows of teeth. Should it be necessary, two, or even three, 
three-row concaves of corrugated teeth may be used. The 
three-row concaves of corrugated teeth are usually used for 
threshing alfalfa, but for clover, the special clover concaves 
are necessary. Information concerning them is given else- 
where in this book. 



138 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

Adjustment of Concaves. In the left side of the "iron- 
sides," or cyHnder side castings, of the wood 12 bar sep- 
arator, there are thumbscrews, which press against the con- 
cave circle and take up the end play of the concaves. The 
steel and 20 bar wood machines have set screws in both 
ironsides. When it is desired to change the concaves, raise 
them up and drop them down a few times to jar out the 
dust and dirt which has become lodged between concave 
circles and ironsides, wedging them tight. With concaves 
in their lowest position, place a stick of wood, the tooth 
straightener, or anything else that may be handy, between 
concave and cylinder teeth and raise the concaves so that 
the teeth cannot pass. Then roll the cylinder backward, 
striking the concaves several times with the momentum of 
the cylinder if necessary, until they are jarred loose and come 
up with the cylinder, as it is rolled backward by hand. The 
thumb-screws mentioned above may be loosened if necessary, 
but if they be, it should be done on one side only so as not 
to disturb the adjustment. 

Caution. When the separator is belted to an engine one 
should make sure that the engineer has closed the throttle 
and opened the cylinder cocks before changing concaves, 
fixing teeth or otherwise handling the separator cylinder. 

The Beater. In threshing very heavy, tough grain, if the 
straw be inclined to wrap the beater or if it tends to follow 
the cylinder around too far, the beater may be raised by tak- 
ing out the blocks from between the beater boxes and the 



THE CYLINDER, CONCAVES AND BEATER. '139 

girt to which they are fastened on wood separators or by 
moving the girts to the upper holes on steel machines. There 
is also provision in the girts for moving the beater back to 
give more room between beater and cross-piece, but it is 
very seldom necessary to m.ove it. The speed of the beater 
is four hundred revolutions per minute and as its bearings 
are provided with hard oil cups, a little attention will keep 
them in good running order. 

The Grates. A large percentage of the grain is separated 
from the straw by the grates through which it is thrown with 
all the force acquired from the cylinder. The grate under 
the beater is adjustable and should usually be kept as high 
as possible for the separation is better when it is high. It 
should never be lowered unless absolutely necessary. 

llie Check Board should usually be kept quite low to pre- 
vent the grain from being thrown to the rear of the machine 
on top of the straw, where it might be carried out of the 
machine without being separated. In damp grain and es- 
pecially damp rye or oats the check board should be raised 
to allow the straw to pass freely through the machine, for if 
left down, it will retard the straw too much, and may cause 
the cvlinder to wind. 



I40 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 




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CHAPTER IV. 



THE STRAW-RACK AND CONVEYOR. 




HE straw-rack and conveyor are both carried 
by studs on the rocker or "vibrating" arms, 
the straw-rack having a longer leverage than 
the conveyor, so that each counterbalances 
the other. They are more accurately bal- 
anced when the machine is in operation and 
both are loaded than when the machine is 
running empty. It is very difficult to sep- 
arate grain from straw that is badly cut up, therefore care 
should be taken to use as few rows of concave teeth as will 
thresh clean from the heads. 

Speed. The most important factor in producing good 
work by the straw-rack is the speed. To do good work, 
it must make 230 vibrations per minute. Its speed can 
best be determined by using a revolution-counter on the 
crank shaft. Some, although not all, persons can determine 
the speed by letting one of the pitmans or a key of one of the 
crank shaft pulleys strike one hand once every revolution, 
while holding a watch in the other hand and counting for a 
half or a full minute. The proper speed is as essential to 
good work by the conveyor sieve or "chaffer" as by the 
straw-rack ; if too fast, grain will go over the sieve with 
the chaff, and if too slow the sieve will be overloaded. 

The present style of straw-rack has riser supports, which 



141 



142 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

prevent the risers from sagging in the middle. (See cut, 
page 120). Fish-backs are nailed to the straw-rack risers, 
two on the second riser (from the front), three on the third 
and four on the fourth. The straw-rack ordinarily does good 
work without the fish-backs, but in cases where the separa- 
tion is very difficult, they will aid materially. 

A Special Straw-Rack called the ''Oregon" straw-rack is 
made for use where the straw is badly cut up or so short 
owing to the grain being headed that most of it passes 
through the regular rack. Parts can be furnished for making 
an Oregon rack of the regular one. 

Pounding. The crank-boxes and pitmans should be kept 
adjusted so that the machine does not make a knocking or 
pounding noise. The maple boxes on the straw-rack and 
conveyor are inexpensive and should be replaced when worn 
out. The pitmans shorten as they wear, and this, with the 
wear of the crank boxes,. sometimes allows the rear vibrating 
arms to drop nearly to their dead-centers. This causes the 
machine to run hard, pound badly, and often breaks the vi- 
brating arms. The rear vibrating arms may be prevented 
from dropping too lev/ in three ways : first, if the frame be 
of wood, the crank boxes may be moved forward by putting 
leather between them and the post ; second, by lengthening 
pitmans by putting leather over Avorn surface at ends or by 
getting new and longer pitmans ; and third, by moving the 
rock-shaft boxes to the rear. This last method is the most 
difficult and should it be attempted, care must be taken to 
move all the boxes exactly the same distance. 



CHAPTER V 




THE CLEANING APPARATUS. 

V HE fan and sieves aided by the tailings auger 
I and tailings elevator separate the grain from 
the chaff. It is in the handling of these, 
which constitute the "cleaning apparatus/' 
more than any other part of the separator, 
that the skill of the operator or separator 
"tender," as he is usually called, shows itself 
and the local reputation of any particular niachine is largely 
due to its record as a "cleaner." 

Tlic Fan Blinds. The position of the fan blinds regulates 
the amount of wind or "blast" that the fan produces. These 
should be adjusted to clean the grain without blowing it over 
and this adjustment can be made while the machine is run- 
ning. Both upper and lower blinds should be partly open. 
The right hand blinds affect the left side of the sieve and 
vice versa ; therefore, if grain is being blown over on one 
side, the blinds on the opposite side should be closed a little. 
Use as much wind as possible without blowing over grain. 
In windy weather it is necessary to close the blinds on the 
windward side of the machine more than those on the other 
side. The blast is retarded by the volume of chaff it is 
moving, hence heavy feeding, and a blast that is all right 

143 



144 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

when the CA'Hnder is kept full, will carry over grain when 
the machine runs empty. Steady feeding is therefore impor- 
tant on this account and the separator tender should let the 
pitchers understand that he cannot produce the best results 
without their aid, in keeping an even and continuous stream 
of grain going into the cylinder. 

Tlie Wind-Board is placed in the machine so that the blast 
from the fan will strike the conveyor sieve about half way 
back. The strongest part of the blast will then pass through 
the shoe sieve near the front end which gives it a cleaning 
capacity its entire length. If the wind board becomes bent 
or sagged so that it stands but little above the floor of the 
shoe, the grain will slide over it into the fan, and then be 
thrown clear out of the machine. To prevent the liability 
of this, belts or "traps" should not be kept in the fan drum. 

Fan Speed. The speed of the fan for i2-bar separator 
should be about 470 and for the 20-bar about 485 revolutions. 

Sieves. The function of all sieves is to assist the fan in 
separating the grain from the chaff and in preventing heads 
and other heavy objects larger in size than the grain from 
mingling with the clean grain. Sieves are distinguished from 
screens in that the grain being cleaned passes through them 
while it passes over a screen. 

Adjustable Sieves. To obviate the delay and trouble of 
changing sieves each time the machine threshes a different 
grain, adjustable sieves have been constructed in which the 
size of the openings may be changed to suit the kind of grain 



THE CLEANING APPARATUS. I45 

or seed. This adjustment may be made while the machine 
is running. All Case separators are now regularly fitted with 
an adjustable conveyor-sieve, commonly called the "chaffer," 
adjustable conveyor-extension and adjustable shoe-sieve. 
The latter should be placed in the shoe with the rear rod in 
the fourth hole and the front end high enough to leave only 
an inch between it and the heel board of the shoe. 

The Conreyor-Extcnsion or Chaffer-Extension carries the 
coarse chaff from the conveyor sieve to the stacker. The con- 
veyor sieve should be so adjusted as to let all the good grain 
through because that which goes to the extension and drops 
through it is returned with the tailings to the cylinder. The 
conveyor-extension should be coarser than the conveyor sieve 
so as to allow all the unthreshed heads to pass through. If 
they pass over it they are lost. The present style of adjust- 
able conveyor extension is hinged to the rear of the con- 
veyor sieve and also fastened to the conveyor side-rails. By 
loosening the bolts wdiich hold it to the side rails this exten- 
sion may be lifted out of the way to get at shoe sieves. 

Common Sieves is the name given to non-adjustable 
sieves and includes the lip, the round-hole, the oblong-hole 
and the woven-wire sieves. 

Fig. 41 shows the nine positions or notches, in which a 
sieve may be placed at the fan end of the shoe, and they 
are numbered, beginning at the top. It also shows the six 
positions for the rod at the rear end and these are also num- 
bered from the top. 



146 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



To Insert Common Sieves place a long rod in the bottom 
of slots, leaving nuts loose. The rods at fan end of sieve 
are about lYz inches longer than those at rear end. In 
changing from one sieve to another it is not necessary to 
remove the rod at fan end. Slide in the sieve and put a 
short rod in the proper hole at rear. Adjust sieve to proper 




Rear End 



FIG. 41. SHOE SHOWING POSITIONS OF SIEVE RODS. 

position at front end and tighien the nuts. If two sieves are 
to be used put the top one in first with rod in bottom of the 
slots. Raise it up to proper position, then put rod for lower 
sieve in the slots and sHde it in below the other. The rod 
of upper sieve cannot be tightened until lower sieve is in 
place. Insert pins in the holes to hold it up while putting in 
lower sieve. Screw the nuts up quite tightly, but not so 
much as to cause the sieves to buckle. Twenty-penny wire 
nails may be used as pins in adjusting sieves. 

List of Common Sieves. The following sieves arc used 
for many other grains and seeds than those mentioned, but 
the few given may serve to identify and explain the nature 
of the sieves. 



THE CLEANIXG AlTARATr^S. 



147 



LIST OF COMMON SIEVES. 

D. Conveyor sieve, 2 in. lip, shown below. 

E. Conveyor or oat sieve, 13^ in. lip, shown below. 

F. Oat sieve, % in. lip, shown below. 

G. Wheat sieve, % in. lip, shown below. 

H Wheat sieve, i%4 in. round hole, shown on page 149. 

I. Flax sieve, %3 in. round hole, shown on page 149. 

K. Cheat screen, Vi&x% in. oblong hole, shown on page 149. 

L. Cheat screen, reg., 1/14x3^ in. oblong hole, shown on page 149. 

M. Timothy sieve, Vie in. round hole, shown on page 149. 

N. Clover or alfalfa, %3 in. round hole, shown on page 149. 

O. Cockle screen, J^ in. round hole, shown on page 149. 

P. Pea screen, ^Aqx% in. oblong hole, shown on page 149. 

Q. Wheat sieve, 43^x43/3 mesh wire, shown on page 149. 

R. Clover sieve, 12x12 mesh wire, shown on page 149. 

T. Timothy sieve, 16x16 mesh wire, shown on page 149. 

U. Orchard-grass sieve, %2'k% in. oblong hole, shown on p. 149. 

W. Pea screen, %x^ in. mesh wire, shown on page 149. 

X, Screen, y^o in. round hole, shown on page 149. 

Y. Screen, Via in. round hole, shown on page 149. 




2" Lip Sieve *'D" IW Lip Sieve "E" M" Lip Sieve "F" %" Lip Sieve "G" 

FIG. 42. LIP SIEVES. (Reduced.) 



148 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

Screens. A screen removes particles smaller than the 
grain or seed being threshed, such as weed seeds, sand, or 
other foreign matter which is usually valueless. Sometimes, 
however, a useful seed, such as timothy is screened out of 
one of the large grains, as oats. In general, for weed seeds 
that are approximately round, the round hole are better than 
the oblong hole screens. However, the latter are the only 
ones that will take out "cheat" which is often found in wheat. 
The screen lies in the bottom of the shoe and is held in place 
by hooks with thumb nuts which engage castings fastened 
on the frame of the screen. When a screen is used the re- 
movable strip in the bottom of the shoe is taken out to allow 
the screenings to fall on the ground. All screens are liable 
to become clogged and in this condition are an obstruction to 
the grain and wind. They should therefore be kept clean 
and only used when necessary. The list of screens is given 
on page 147 and they are illustrated on page 149. 

The Tailings Elevator returns to the cylinder for a 
second threshing the unthreshed heads and all trash, which 
is too coarse to fall through the sieves and too heavy to be 
blown out by the blast. It consists of an elevator with cups 
or flights carried on sprocket chain, into which the tailings 
are delivered by an auger (called the tailings auger), and 
a spout to carry the tailings from the end of the elevator to 
the cylinder. This spout has an auger on some separators 
and It is then called the ''tailings conveyor." The tailings 
elevator is driven from the crank-shaft with a crossed belt 



THE CLEANING APPARATUS. 




,V" Round Hole "X" W Round Hole "M" I't " Round Hole V Y" 



- • • • 



• • • • 
• • • • 




^' Round Hole "N" V Round Hole "O" /," Round H..le "I"^ 




ir'Round Hole^H'' Jxr'Oblong Hole"K" i^xJ^Oblong Hole"L" 




»,x4"ObloDgHole'*U*' ^^.x^-'ObloncjHole-P" ir|"Meeh Wire "W 




!6xl6Mc6h Wire"T'' 1?? 12 Mesh Wire "H" 4ix4|Mesh Wire^^Q'^ 
FIG. 43. SIEVES AND SCREENS^ (FuU SizC.) 



THE CLEANING APPARATUS. 149 

SO that thf chain carries the taihngs up the lower pipe. The 
speed 5f the drive shaft at top is 185 re\ohitions per minute 
and the upper and lower sprockets having the same num.bcr 
of teeth, the tailings auger also runs at this speed. 

Oiling Tailings Elevator. The boxes to be oiled on tail- 
ings elevator are the two of the shaft at the upper end, the 
one bolted to "boot" at lower end an_d its mate, which is at 
the other end of the auger on opposite side of separator. The 
tailings conveyor has two bearings for the small cross-shaft 
and one at each end of auger. These should be frequently 
oiled and the bevel gears kept greased. 

Adjusting Chains of Tailings Elevator. The boxes at the 
upper end of the elevator have slotted holes to allow them 
to be moved for tightening the chain carrying the cups. Set- 
screws with long threads aid in adjusting the boxes and in 
holding them in place. This chain should be kept tight 
enough to prevent it from unhooking, but it should have 
slack enough to run freely. The short chain driving the tail- 
ings conveyor is tightened by lowering the brackets support- 
ing it, the holes in which are slotted for this purpose. 

To Put Chain in Tailings Elevator. Tie a weight to the 
end of rope and drop it down the lower part of elevator. 
Untie the weight and tie rope to end of chain, and while one 
man is pulling on the rope from above let another feed the 
chain in from below. When chain appears at the top, drop 
the rope down the upper part of the elevator, and when chain 



150 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

is started around the upper sprocket, pull the rope from 
below and feed it in as before to bring it to its proper place. 
Hook the chain at bottom, see that it is on the sprocket, and 
tighten by means of adjusting screws at the top. Turn the 
pulley at top of elevator by hand until the chain has gone 
once around to insure its being free from kinks. 

The Tailings are a good indication of the work the sieves 
are doing. They should be small in amount and contain no 
light chaff and very little plump grain. If too much good 
grain be returned with the tailings, ascertain if it comes over 
the shoe sieve or through the conveyor extension. If it be 
passing over the shoe sieve, probably this sieve is overloaded 
with chaff, as is sometimes the case when the straw is badly 
cut up. To remedy this, the conveyor sieve should be partly 
closed to let less straw through. If, however, the gocKl 
grain is going over the conveyor sieve and through the con- 
veyor extension, the remedy is just the reverse, that is, the 
conveyor sieve should be opened. The adjustment in sep- 
arators with lip sieves is made by bending the lips, but as a 
usual thing, they should be set at about a forty-five degree 
angle. Grain returned in the tailings is apt to be cracked 
by the cylinder, and when the tailings are heavy this is some- 
times of importance. If very much chaff is returned it in- 
creases the difficulties of separation, and must be handled by 
the sieves again. In all cases have as few tailings as possible. 




CHAPTER VI. 

THRESHING WITH A REGULARLY EQUIPPED 

SEPARATOR. 

HIS chapter will deal with the threshing of 
those grains and seeds which may be suc- 
cessfully handled by a regularly equipped 
separator. It will include the threshing of 
wheat, rye, oats, barley, flax, timothy, buck- 
wheat, millet and speltz or emmer. Those 
grains and seeds which cannot be threshed 
successfully without some change in, or addition to a regu- 
larly equipped separator will be treated separately in the 
following chapter. 

Headed Grain. The bulk of the grain grown at the 
present time is cut by binders and is delivered to the thresh- 
ing machine in bundles. There are localities, however, in 
which all, or nearly all, the grain is cut by headers and 
delivered to the separator loose. Bound grain is supposed to 
be fed to the cylinder, "heads first," and when so fed, the 
work of the cylinder is made easy as the straw holds the 
heads while the grain is being knocked out of them. This 
cannot be the case with headed grain, as usually but little 
straw is left on the heads, because, to keep the bulk small, 
the header is run to cut only low enough to get most of 
the heads. Other things being equal, headed grain is, then. 



151 



152 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

harder to knock out of the heads than bound grain, but no 
trouble is experienced with the "Case" separator in head- 
ings, if the cyHnder and concaves be in good condition. Most 
of the grain raised on the Pacific coast is headed, and a 
special feeder, known as the "Spokane Feeder," is used, 
usually in connection with derrick-forks. In the more east- 
ern headed grain districts, the mounted feeder carrier is 
used as an extension to the regular bundle feeder. 

Thresliing Wheat. Ordinarily, it is not difficult to do 
good work in threshing wheat with a separator which is in 
good condition. To get the best results, the cylinder, es- 
pecially, should be in good repair and it should maintain a 
uniform speed. The speed should be fully up to the regula- 
tion, 750 revolutions for the twenty-bar cylinder or 1075 
revolutions for the twelve-bar cylinder. It is seldom that the 
ordinary varieties of wheat cannot be threshed with four 

. rows of concave teeth. Before concluding that more are 
required, see that the teeth are in good condition, and that 
the cylinder fully maintains the given speed. It is generally 
admitted that four rows of concave teeth are more effective 
if a blank concave be placed between the filled concaves, 
and that the straw is less cut up if the filled concaves be 
placed together, but some good operators do not agree with 

. the former statement. How^ever, with this in mind, it will 
not be difficult for an operator to determine which arrange- 
ment is best suited to the particular conditions under which 
his machine is at work. Good operators judge by the work 



THRESHING WITH REGULARLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR. 1 53 

the machine is doing, what changes in the adjustment or 
arrangement of concaves or in the speed, will improve the 
work. For example, if the wheat be thoroughly knocked out 
of the heads and there be an excessive amount of chaff and 
chopped straw, it would be well to see if the kernels could 
still be threshed clean from the straw if the concaves were 
lowered a notch or two, or perhaps one filled concave re- 
placed by a blank or else the speed lowered slightly. If any 
of these changes were made, the work of the machine as a 
whole would be improved, for separation and cleaning are 
made easier by reducing the amount of chopped straw. 

The adjustable-chaf¥er, chaffer-extension and shoe-sieve 
can be best adjusted while the machine is running, the oper- 
ator noting how much chaff each is handling, how the wheat 
is cleaned and the amount of tailings being returned, as ex- 
plained in Chapter V. The adjustable shoe-sieve should 
be placed at, or very near, the top, at the fan end and in the 
fourth hole from the top at the rear end. 

When the separator is equipped with common sieves, the 
two-inch lip sieve, D, should be used as a chaffer. Ordin- 
arily, the three-eighths inch lip sieve, G, will do nice vv^ork as 
a shoe sieve, and it will remain clean with little or no atten- 
tion. It should be placed in the second notch at the fan 
end and third hole at the rear, — from the top in both cases. 
When *'white~caps," as kernels with chaff adhering to them 
are called, are numerous, the fifteen-sixty-fourths inch round- 
hole sieve, H, is the best for removinsr them. It should be 



154 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

placed in the second notch and third or fourth hole. Some- 
times these two sieves are used together and when so used, 
the former, G, should be placed in the first notch and third 
hole and the latter, H, in the fifth or sixth notch and the 
fifth hole. 

For a screen, either the one-fourteenth by one-half inch 
oblong" hole, L, or the one-sixteenth by three-eighths inch, 
K, is suitable, depending upon the size of the kernels of 
wheat. F'or cockle, the five-thirty-seconds inch round hole 
screen, I, is the right size. 

Turkey Wheat. Some varieties of wheat, such as the 
"Turkey," which is raised extensively in Oklahoma, is very 
difficult to knock out of the heads and often six rows of con- 
cave teeth will not thresh it clean from the straw. In this 
case, one or more three-row concaves of corrugated teeth are 
necessary. For such grain, the cylinder speed should be kept 
fully up to the stated number of revolutions. 

Thresliing Rye. Rye is more easily knocked out of the 
heads than wheat, and usually two rows of concave teeth 
are sufficient. When damp, the straw is tough and as it is 
long, it tends to wrap on the cylinder and beater. To pre- 
vent this, the cylinder should be run at a high speed — say 
800 for the twenty-bar or 11 50 for the twelve-bar. Tough 
rye straw is more liable to wrap if bruised by the cylinder, 
and therefore, in threshing damp rye, it is best to use not 
more than two rows of concave teeth and often these may 
be left quite low, as the high cylinder speed suggested above 



THRESHING WITH REGULARLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR. I55 

will ordinarily insure threshing it clean from the straw. 
The writer has seen a separator (not a "Case"), which could 
not handle damp rye with the usual concave teeth, because 
of wrapping, do very fair work when all the concave teeth 
were remioved and a high cylinder speed depended upon for 
knockine the kernels from the straw. It is a common mistake 
to use. too many concave teeth in threshing rye. Unless the 
straw be badly chopped up, this grain is easily separated and 
cleaned. The same sieves should be used as in threshing 
wheat, except that the round-hole sieve, H, for removing the 
white-caps from wheat is not necessary for rye. 

Thresliino; Oats. Oats, when drv, are best threshed with 
two rows of concave teeth and, especially if the straw be 
short, with a cylinder speed somewhat lower than is re- 
quired for wheat. When they are in this condition, it is 
easy to thresh them very fast and a machine of medium size 
often turns out as much as six or seven hundred bushels 
per hour. When damp, however, oat-straw is very tough 
and requires a speed of fully 750 for the twenty-bar or 1075 
for the twelve-bar cylinder. The adjustable-chaffer and 
shoe-sieve should be set more open than for wheat. If the 
separator be equipped with common sieves, the two-inch 
lip-sieve, D, should be used as a chaffer and the three- 
quarter inch lip-sieve, F, placed in the second notch and 
third hole in the shoe. If this sieve be found too fine, as is 
occasionally the case with large oats, and in fast threshing, 
the one and one-quarter inch lip-sieve, E, may be used. Any 



156 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

of the screens mentioned for wheat are suitable for oats. 
Since a bushel of oats weighs only a little more than half as 
much as a bushel of wheat, less wind must be used in clean- 
ing. Oats that are poorly filled, and consequently very light, 
cannot be well cleaned without blowing over some apparently 
good kernels. Upon close examination, however, it will be 
found that very few of these are more than hulls, which 
contain no meat. 

Threshing Barley. In certain localities, sometimes bar- 
ley is in such condition that it is easily threshed. At other 
times, however, the "beards" are tough and difficult to 
knock off from the kernels. To successfully handle such 
grain, the cylinder- and concave-teeth should be in excellent 
order. Any teeth that are badly worn should be replaced 
by new ones. Six rows of concave-teeth may be required 
and the cylinder-speed should be kept up to fully 750 revolu- 
tions for the twenty-bar and 1075 for the twelve-bar cylinder 
separators. In using these means to remove the beards, the 
straw being brittle, is apt to be badly cut up and, therefore, 
gives the cleaning apparatus a great deal of chaff to handle. 
The adjustable sieves should be set as in threshing wheat. 
By having the front end of the shoe-sieve high and the rear 
end low, the kernels with beards adhering to them will be 
carried to the tailings elevator and returned to the cylinder. 
Another advantage of placing the sieve in this position lies 
in the fact that when so placed, it lies across the path of 
the blast, thus forcing the wind through it. The wind. In 



THRESHING WITH REGULARLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR. 1 57 

passing through the sieve, will lift the chaff and enable the 
sieve to handle the large amount of chaff that comes to it in 
barley threshing. With brittle barley straw, the regular 
straw-rack sometimes shakes too much straw through to the 
conveyor. In this case, as in threshing "headings," the 
straw-rack should be converted into the Oregon style, men- 
tioned heretofore. When the separator is fitted with com- 
mon sieves, the two-inch lip, D, or the one and one-quarter- 
inch lip, E, should be used as a chaffer and the three- 
eighths-inch lip-sieve, G, in the second notch and fourth 
hole as a shoe-sieve. Any of the screens mentioned for 
wheat are suitable for barley. 

Threshing Flax. The thresherman should devote some 
study to the peculiarities of flax if he wishes to do a nice 
job of threshing. Operators of some makes of separators 
have great difficulty in threshing flax on account of the straw 
being composed of tow, and therefore, having great tendency 
to wind on every revolving thing it encounters. The "Case" 
separator, having no rotary parts on which flax straw can 
wind, has always had an advantage in this respect. Flax is 
usually unbound, and on separators equipped with feeders, 
the pitchers are apt to throw it upon the feeder-carrier in 
large forkfuls. The straw, on the contrary, should be fed 
evenly to the cylinder, for if allowed to pass into the ma- 
chine in large bunches, it will "slug" the motion down and 
prevent all parts of the separator from doing good work. 
When green or damp, it requires close work on the part of 



158 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

the cylinder and concave teeth to get the seed out- of the 
bolls. Usually six rows of concave teeth are required, and 
the speed must be kept fully up to the 750 for the twenty- 
bar or 1075 for the twelve-bar, but when dry and in good 
condition, it is best to run the cylinder at a little less than 
its normal speed to favor the shoe. Some very good samples 
of cleaned flax have been taken from separators fitted only 
with the adjustable sieves. Usually, however, it is necessary 
to place a sieve underneath the adjustable shoe-sieve to do 
first-class cleaning. For this purpose, tlie five-thirty-seconds- 
inch round hole sieve, I, is the correct size. It should be 
placed in the seventh notch at the fan end and the fourth 
hole in the rear. This sieve should also be used in the 
same position in the shoe of machines fitted with common 
sieves. For an upper sieve, either of the wheat sieves may 
be used, but the three-eighths-inch lip sieve, G, is preferable 
to the fifteen-sixty-fourths-inch round hole sieve, H. For 
a chaffer, the three-quarter-inch lip-sieve, F, works the best 
of the common sieves. More wind can be used with two 
sieves in the shoe than with one. 

Threshing Timothy. Although this seed when properly 
ripened and cured, is not hard to thresh, it is often in such 
condition as to render it very difficult for the separator te« 
handle. It is often cut and stacked when green or damp. 
When in this condition, the bundles are very solid and they 
must be properly fed or the cylinder and concave teeth may 
give trouble. The speed, too, must be fully up to the normal. 



THRESliING WITH REGULARLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR. I59 

750 fof the twenty-bar or 1075 for the twelve-bar cylinder. 
Six rows of concave-teeth should always be used, as con- 
siderable rubbing is necessary to loosen the seed from the 
heads. When the seed is ripe and dry, the cylinder speed 
may be lowered considerably, and this should be done when- 
ever possible, as a low speed favors the shoe in handling 
this small and rather light seed. Often when the seed is 
well ripened and allowed to stand in the field, especially if 
in shocks that are not capped, it will be badly shelled in hand- 
ling so that the amount threshed will be considerably less 
than the actual yield would be, were it possible to save it all. 

The adjustable-sieves should be set well closed for tim- 
othy and a lower sieve must be used to get the seed clean. 
Either the one-sixteenth-inch round-hole sieve, M, or the 
sixteen by sixteen-mesh wire sieve, T, are suitable for tim- 
othy seed, and either may be used successfully, if placed in 
the seventh notch and fourth or fifth hole. When common- 
sieveg are used, the three-quarter-inch lip-sieve, F, will be 
found to be the most suitable for a chaffer and the three- 
eighth-inch lip, G, is an excellent upper sieve for the shoe. 

Threshing Biickzvheat. This grain is easily knocked off 
the straw and one or two rows of concave-teeth are always 
sufficient. Very often when dry, it is best threshed with all 
the concave-teeth removed. Buckwheat straw is brittle and 
it is well to bear in mind that as with other grains, the work 
of separation and cleaning is easier when the work of the 
cylinder is not overdone. The speed should be low to pre- 



l60 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

vent cracking the grain. The sieves should be set the same as 
for wheat. In locaHties in which sufficient buckwheat is 
grown to keep a separator threshing for several days at a 
time, excellent results can be obtained by changing the pul- 
leys on the cylinder-shaft as for rice, thus making a low 
cylinder speed possible, while the balance of the machine 
maintains its normal motion. 

Threshing Millet. This is the most easily threshed of 
the ordinary seeds. Usually the normal cylinder speed and 
four rows of concave-teeth are sufficient to knock out the 
seed. The adjustable-sieves will ordinarily clean it suffi- 
ciently. If the separator be fitted with common sieves, the 
three-quarter-inch lip-sieve, F, should be used as a chaffer, 
and either the three-eighths-inch lip-sieve, G, or the fifteen- 
sixty-fourths-inch round-hole sieve, H, used in the second 
notch and third hole in the shoe. When a lower sieve is 
desired with either the adjustable- or common-sieves, the 
one-eighth-inch round-hole-sieve, O, or the five-thirty- 
seconds-inch round-hole sieve, I, is suitable. Either should 
be placed in the seventh notch and fifth hole. 

Threshing Spelt:: or Emmer. This grain is easily 
threshed and if the directions for threshing oats be followed, 
no difficulty will be experienced. 



CHAPTER VII. 




THRESHING WITH A SPECIALLY EQUIPPED 
SEPARATOR. 

HIS chapter will deal with those crops, the 
threshing of which requires a change in, 
or an addition to, a regularly equipped sepa- 
rator. It will include the threshing of peas, 
beans, rice, clover, alfalfa, orchard-grass, 
Kafir and Indian-corn and peanuts. 

Threshing Peas. To prevent cracking 
the peas, it is necessary to run the cylinder at a very 
much lower speed than is required for threshing grain. To 
obtain the best results, the twelve-bar cylinder should 
ordinarily be run at from 400 to 450 revolutions per minute, 
but when the peas are thoroughly ripened and dry, a lower 
speed will be better, 300 revolutions being sufficient, at 
times. Ordinarily the twenty-bar cylinder should be run 
290 revolutions per minute, but this speed may also be 
lessened to nearly 200 revolutions when the condition of 
the pods permit. To secure this low cylindtr speed and 
retain the normal motion of the other parts of the machine 
and of the engine, it is necessary to change the pulleys on 
the cylinder shaft. 

The number of concave rows may be two, four or six, 

as the condition require. The cylinder must be run at a 

161 



l62 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

certain slow speed as already stated, and when so speeded, 
more concave teeth are required than if it were allowed to 
run faster However, since the cylinder speed must be low, 
a sufBcient number of concave teeth should be used to 
knock the peas out of the pods. For "blanks", when less 
than six rows of concave teeth are used, hardwood boards 
cut to the right length and width and fitted to the concave- 
circles are preferable to the regular iron-blanks. Since peas 
are apt to be cracked by the corners on the iron-blank-con- 
caves or .ofrates. the 2:rates under the beater are sometimes 
covered with sheet-iron. This should be done where trouble 
from cracking is experienced. 

In general, the adjustable chafifer and shoe sieve should 
be set only slightly more open for the common field peas or 
for stock-peas than for wheat. If the separator be fitted 
with common-sieves, the one and one-quarter-inch lip, E, 
or the two-inch lip, D, should be used as a chaffer, and the 
three-eighths-inch lip, G, should be placed in the second 
notch and third hole in the shoe. For a screen, the three- 
sixteenths by three-quarter-inch oblong hole, P, is best, 
although the fifteen-sixtv-fourths round-hole wheat sieve, 
H, works very well in field or "Whip-poor-will" stock- 
peas. 

If trouble be experienced because the peas strike the 
floor of the shoe and bound over into the fan, it can be 
prevented by covering the front part of the chaffer to a dis- 
tance of twelve or fourteen inches with sheet-iron. If there 



THRESHING WITH SPECIALLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR. T63 

be much sand or dirt to be screened out, applying the same 
remedy will cause the peas to be dropped farther rearward 
and allow the dirt more chance to get through the screen. 
Returning peas to the cylinder with the tailings is apt to 
crack them, and therefore, the cleaned peas will contain 
fewer split ones if the tailings be kept separate. This may 
be done by opening the bottom of the tailings-elevator and 
allowing them to run on the ground. Afterwards they may 
be run through the machine while "cleaning up." 

Threshing Beans. All that has been said above, in 
regard to threshing peas, applies equally well to threshing 
the ordinary white navy beans, and also the larger varie- 
ties, except, that for the latter, if common sieves be used, 
the three-quarter-inch lip, F, should be used in place of 
the three-eighths-inch lip sieve, G, in the shoe. 

Threshing Soy Beans. Soy beans are difficult to knock 
out of the pods, and are so hard that they are not easily 
cracked. Therefore, they can best be threshed with a sepa- 
rator adjusted and speeded as for wheat. 

Special Cylinders for Peas and Beans. There are local- 
ities in which a separator may be kept constantly threshing 
peas or beans for several days or even weeks at a time. 
For such machines, it is often advisable to obtain a special 
cylinder with the teeth spaced for this work. When so 
equipped, a ''Case" separator will do better work than it 
would do with the regular cylinder. In fact, its work is then 
equal to that of the machines designed especially for hulling 



164 SCIENCE- OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

beans, while its capacity is much greater. In changing to 
the special cylinder, it is necessary to procure the special 
concaves and concave-circles, as well as the cylinder. 

Threshing Rice. This grain is difficult to thresh clean 
from the heads without cracking or hulling the kernels. 
The teeth in a regular cylinder are spaced too closely for 
ordinary rice threshing, although good work is sometimes 
done when the teeth have become somewhat v/orn and are 
consequently thinner than when new. The "Case" rice 
thresher has the proper spacing of teeth to thresh this 
grain out of the heads without cracking more than a small 
percentage. What is said in Chapter III in regard to the 
proper endwise adjustment of the cylinder and the necessity 
of keeping the teeth straight applies particularly to rice 
threshing. In reading that chapter with reference to rice, 
however, it should be born in mind that a difference exists, 
from the fact that the space between tlie concave and cylin- 
der teeth is about three-sixteenths of an inch in the rice 
machine instead of about an eighth of an inch, as it is in 
the regular. AVhen the rice is in good condition, tho 
amount hulled and broken should not exceed five per cent., 
but when the grain is ''sun-cracked", the percentage may 
be somewhat larger. The condition of the grain will deter- 
mine the number and position of the concave teeth, two, 
four or six rows being used as required. 

Besides requiring a special spacing of the cylinder and 
concave teeth, the cylinder speed must be lower for rice. 



THRESHING WITH SPECIALLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR. 165 

than for ordinary grain. The twelve-bar cylinder-speed for 
rice should be 900 revolutions per minute and in order to 
give the proper speed to the other parts of the separator, it 
is necessary to have the special pulleys on the cylinder 
shaft. These are sufficiently larger than the regular pulleys 
to allow the cylinder to run at the desired low speed, while 
maintaining normal speed of the other parts of the separa- 
tor. In the same manner, the twenty-bar cylinder speed 
for rice should be from 575 to 600 revolutions, and to 
obtain this, a corresponding change in all the pulleys on the 
cylinder shaft must be made. More rice is apt to be 
cracked the first few days a new separator runs, than will be 
afterwards, when the cylinder teeth have become worn 
smooth. 

For rice the adjustable chaffer and shoe-sieve should be 
set in the same position and with about the same opening 
as for oats. Rice is considerably heavier, however, and will 
stand the extra amount of wind required to blow out its 
heavy chaff. When common sieves are used the chaffer 
should be the two-inch lip, D. The three-quarter-inch lip- 
sieve, F, placed in the second notch and third hole gives 
excellent results as a shoe-sieve. For a screen, the one- 
fourteenth by one-half-inch oblong-hole, L, is best, ordi- 
narily. When the rice is so small that this screen lets too 
much through, the one-sixteenth by three-eighths-inch 
oblong-hole, K, may be used. 

Hulling Clover. The process of removing clover seed 



l66 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

from the heads or tops of the plant Is usually called ''hull- 
ing," instead of ''threshing." A special attachment is made 
for "Case" separators, for use in hulling clover. This 
attachment consists of four narrow three-row concaves 
filled with corrugated teeth, one special blank concave and 
special sieves. All twelve rows of teeth should be used and 
the blank placed in front. If the seed be not threshed clean 
from the heads at the regular speed, with the twelve rows 
of teeth set clear up, run the cylinder a little faster. While 
doing this, the belts driving beater, crank and fan may be 
left a little loose so they will not drive these parts too fast. 
Clover must be very dry to be well threshed by any machine 
and when threshing from the field is usually not in condi- 
tion to be hulled before ten or eleven o'clock in the morning. 
From three to six bushels per hour is fair work with a 
m.edium size separator in dry clover of an average yield. 
The machines built especially for hulling clover have only 
about half the capacity of the "Case" separator. 

Good cleaning has been done with the adjustable-sieves 
alone, but ordinarily, it will be found much easier to pro- 
duce clean seed if a sieve be used in the shoe below the 
adjustable one. For this purpose, the three-thirty-seconds- 
inch round-hole sieve, N, or the twelve by twelve mesh 
woven-wire-sieve, R, is the correct size. Either should be 
placed in the seventh notch and eighth hole. The adjust- 
able shoe-sieve should be placed in the second notch and 
third hole. When comm.on sieves are used, the three-quar- 



THRESHING WITH SPECIALLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR. 167 

ter-inch lip, F, makes a suitable chaffer, and the three- 
eighths-inch lip-sieve, G, is the best as an upper-sieve in the 
shoe. The latter should be placed in the first notch an-d 
first hole and the lower shoe-sieve should be of the same 
size and placed in the same position as given for adjustable- 
sieves. Three sieves have been used in the shoe for clover, 
but few operators can make three sieves do better than two. 
The *'Case" recleaner is sometimes used in hulling clover 
and when fitted with the proper sieves, it will thoroughly 
clean very weedy seed. 

Thresh hig Alfalfa or Lucerne. The same rules which 
govern the hulling of clover apply in a general way to the 
threshing of alfalfa, although it is easier to rub the latter 
out of its pods than the former out of its heads. The clover 
concaves are sometimes used, but more often one or more 
of the regular three-row concaves filled with corrugated 
teeth are all that is required. The sieves may be the same 
and set in the same way as for clover. Often a weed known 
as dodder or love-vine, grows with alfalfa and its seeds are 
usually enough smaller than the alfalfa seed to allow the 
greater part of them to be removed by screening. The most 
suitable screen for this purpose is the one-tv/entieth-inch 
round-hole, X. 

Threshing Orehard-Grass. In threshing this grass, the 
cylinder should be run at its regular speed, and six rows of 
concave teeth, set well up, should be used. Good work has 
been done with the adjustable sieves alone, but as a rule, 



1 68 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

the seed can be cleaned better by using the three-thirty- 
seconds by one-half-inch oblong-hole special sieve, U, under- 
neath the adjustable shoe-sieve. It should be placed in the 
seventh or eighth notch and sixth hole. The adjustable shoe- 
sieve should be placed in the second notch and third hole. If 
common-sieves be used, place the one and one-quarter-inch 
lip sieve, E^ in. the conveyor. Use the three-quarter-inch 
lip sieve, F, as an upper sieve in the shoe placed in the 
first notch and third hole. Use the three-thirty-seconds by 
one-half-inch special orchard-grass sieve^ U^ below, placing 
it in the same position as when used with the adjustable one. 
But little wind is required, and if the grass be reasonably 
free from weeds, the lower blinds may be entirely closed and 
the upper ones opened a little. If the grass be damp or 
dirty, slightly open the lower ones also. From twelve-hun- 
dred to fifteen-hundred bushels of orchard-grass have been 
threshed in a day with a mediimi sized machine. 

Threshing Kafir-Corn. The three principal varieties of 
Kafir-corn — the white, the red and the black-hulled white, 
(African-millet), are known by various names, such as "red- 
top" or "sumac-cane", "milo-maize", "black-amber-cane", 
"guinea-corn", etc. Any of these may be succes'sfuUy 
threshed with a "Case" separator. When the machine is 
kept continually threshing crops of this sort, it is best to use 
the "Texas" straw-rack, which is made especially for this 
work. The general directions for wheat may be followed in 
regard to the cylinder and concaves, speed and cleaning 
apparatus. 



THRESHING WITH SPPJCIALLY EQUIPPED SEPARATOR. 169 

Threshing Indian-Cojii or Maize. The threshing of 
Indian-corn is very hard on a separator and the use of a 
good machine for this purpose is therefore not recom- 
mended. Some threshermen use a separator which has 
been discarded for use in regular grain threshing and this 
arrangement is not objectionable. As the corn is shelled by 
the machine it must be drier than is necessary for a husker- 
shredder, or the shelled corn will heat and spoil. Usually 
the cylinder is run at its normal speed and two rows of con- 
cave-teeth are used. Often concave-teeth are forged so as 
to be sharpened on the front edge or else shortened to 
lessen the amount of power required to drive the cylinder. 
The fish-backs may be removed from the straw-rack and 
the risers lowered so that the rack is flat, similar to the 
special "Texas" rack used for Kafir-corn. 

Threshing Peanuts. Although a great part of the pea- 
nut crop has always been removed from the vines by hand, 
machines are being used more and more each year for this 
work. The "Case" separator, when fitted with special parts, 
works very satisfactorily, and the separation is more com- 
plete with it. than with the machines built especially for 
hulling peanuts. 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING.- 










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CHAPTER VIIL 



FEEDING THE SEPARATOR. 




HE importance of having a separator properly 
^) fed was generally realized more fully in the 
old days when all machines were fed by 
hand and the power was furnished by horses, 
than at present. Then it was evident that 
some men could feed more grain to a thresh- 
ing cylinder in a given period, at the same 
time letting the horses do their work easier, than others less 
skilled in the art of feeding. To-day, as in the past, to get 
the best results from a separator, it must be fed so that the 
cylinder maintains a uniform speed. 

Feeding by Hand. To become a good hand feeder, con- 
siderable experience and practice are required. A good 
feeder tips his bundles well up against the cylinder cap, 
turning flat bundles up on edge, and always holding them 
from the under-side so that the cylinder may take from the 
top. But a slight movement is necessary to spread a bundle, 
and in fast threshing, feeding from both sides, each bundle 
should be fed almost entirely on its own side, keeping the 
cylinder full its entire width and having each bundle in 
position before the last of the preceding bundle has passed 
into the cylinder. A good feeder will keep the straw-carrier 



171 



172 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

evenly covered with straw, and will watch the stacker, tail- 
ings and grain elevators and know the moment anything goes 
wrong. 

Self-Feeders. A separator equipped with a feeding at- 
tachment may be spoken of as a "self-feeder," but properly 
speaking, the attachment itself is a ''feeder," not a "self- 
feeder," because it feeds the separator, but does not feed 
itself. 

Attaching the Feeder. Remove feed tables, hopper-arms 
and foot-board, if they be on the machine. A wagon placed 
in front of the separator will afford a convenient means of 
supporting feeder head while bolting it in place. When the 
head is bolted in position, the "notched bottom" and "re- 
tarder bottom" may be put in place. The plate of the latter 
must rest on top of the concave so that no ledge is formed. 
Any man who has tried feeding a cylinder by hand when the 
feed board had slipped off the concave, will understand the 
importance of this. The carrier is held by the notches pro- 
vided for it on the head, by pins. Slack for hooking the 
sprocket chains of the rake may be obtained by partly folding 
the carrier. When all pulleys, including the tightener and 
governor, are fastened in place, all the bearings are oiled 
and the governor adjusted according to the directions given 
below, the feeder is ready to run. 

After attaching a feeder, it is well to try the cylinder for 
end-play, for it may be that the ironsides supporting cylinder 
boxes have been sprung enough to cause too much end-play 



FEEDING THE SEPARATOR. 



173 



or else press the boxes so hard against the hubs of the cylin- 
der heads as to cause heating. 

Folding Feeder Carrier. The carrier is folded out of the 
way for transportation. The center-board must be removed 
and the sprocket-chains of the rake hooked up before folding. 




FIG. 45. SECTIONAL VIEW OF "CASE" FEEDER. 

Oiling. The places to be oiled are the cranks, the two 
large crank boxes, the two small crank boxes, two carrier 
shaft coxes, shaft at outer end of carrier, tv/o wood boxes 
of hopper-bottom, tightener-pulley stud and the stud on 



174 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

which the idler pulley runs. The friction band of governor 
should not be oiled after it becomes smooth. 

The Governor drives the feeder by means of a friction 
band, v^^hich is clamped over a friction pulley, by means of 
the centrifugal action of the weights. The spring tension on 
these weights should be such that the feeder will not start 
until cylinder is very near its normal speed. In starting a 
new feeder any paint that may be on the inside of friction 
band and on the face of the friction pulley should be care- 
fully removed and the surface of both scoured with emery- 
cloth or fine sand-paper until smooth and bright. A very 
little oil may be used the first few days, but when once 
properly adjusted, it will not req-uire any further lubrication. 
The best adjustment of the governor will be found to be 
as follows : First adjust the friction band so that the weight 
arms may be pulled out about half way by hand. Then set 
the weights about one-half inch from the ends of the arms 
and give the spring but little tension when the weights are 
in and the band is loose. The final adjustment of the spring 
can best be made by trying- it and setting it to suit the speed. 
Wrench 5548T will be found convenient in adjusting the 
spring. 

Speed. With the regular cylinder speed of 750 revolu- 
tions for the 20 bar and 1075 revolutions of the 12 bar cylin- 
ders the knife-arm crank of the feeder will make 258 revolu- 
tions per minute. The retarder blades should be driven 
from the carrier-rake drive shaft and when so driven, will 



FEEDING 'liil:. biii'ARATOR. 



175 



make 27 turns per minute, with the belt driving stud shaft 
on the inner pulleys or 33 turns with belt on outer pulleys. 
As a change in the speed of carrier-rake is sometimes desir- 
able, special sprockets have been provided which give a 
range of speed as shown in the following table. 



ier 




i-'low, (Belt on Inner 


Fast, (Belt on 


Outer 


.^.2 




'S 




Pulleys). 




Pulleys). 







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07 


54.45 


290 


290 


84 


68.25 


5324T 


ASMTT 


263 


264 


76 


61.75 


331 


330 


96 


78. 


A5324T 


5447T 


230 


230 


80 


65. 


290 


290 


101 


82. 


A5324T 


A5447T 


263 


264 


92 


74.75 


331 


330 


116 


94.25 


36FS 


A5447T 


263 


264 


92 


74.75 


331 


330 


116 


94.25 



Note: Sprockets 5324T (24 teeth), and 5447T (7 
teeth), are regular, and A5324T (20 teeth), and A5447T (8 
teeth), are special. The number of revolutions per minute 
is given in each case. The above has reference to feeders 
previous to 1907. On feeders built in 1907 and later, having 
the straw governor, sprocket 36 FS is regular. 



1/6 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 




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CHAPTER IX. 

THE STRAW STACKERS. 

HE demands of the farmers in various local- 
^^j ities for a means of handling straw, espec- 
ially suited to their particular needs, has led 
to the designing and building of several dif- 
ferent devices for this purpose. 

Common Stackers. This is the name 
given to the plain stravi^ carriers which do 
not swing. Ordinarily they are attached to the separator 
and are hoisted and lowered by means of a rope and wind- 
lass. The short lengths are usually in one section, but the 
longer ones are jointed so they may be folded for transporta- 
tion. Being pivoted to the separator at a point near the 
ground, a common stacker is level when its end is not more 
than three feet from the ground. Therefore, the straw will 
be dropped nearer and nearer to the separator as the stacker 
is elevated. This tendency of the end of the stacker to 
draw^ away from the stack must be allowed for in locating 
the stack, which must be placed sufficiently under the stacker 
so that when elevated, the straw will be dropped well onto 
the stack. Parts may be obtained for converting any "Case" 
common stacker into a "side-stacker" for delivering the straw 
into the side mows in barn threshing. When so used the end 
of the straw-carrier rests on the ground. 

177 



178 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



The Attached Stacker. This is the name given to the 
automatically swinging- stacker which is attached to the 
separator. The present style has an upright-section, to the 
upper end of which the carrier is attached. This brings the 
pivot-point about ten feet from the ground, and since the 
carrier is this distance from the ground when level, its outer 
end does not perceptibly draw away from the stack as it is 
elevated. 

Operating the Attached-Stacker. The carrier of this 
stacker may be made to swing automatically, and, as is the 
case with other self-swinging stackers, the length of swing 
depends upon the position of the trip-pins. Many stack 
builders prefer to swing the carrier by hand from the stack. 
This may be done by disengaging the driving apparatus. 
The carrier of this stacker should always be folded so as to 
rest on the deck of the separator, before the machine is 
moved from place to place. 

Oiling the Attached-Stacker. All of the gearing should 
be frequently greased, especially the bevel-gears and the 
worm-gears. The upright bearing is oiled through the cen- 
ter of the shaft. All the other shaft bearings are provided 
wnth oil-cups which should be partly filled with a little wool 
or cotton-waste. 

Independent Stackers. This is the name given to swing- 
ing stackers which are mounted on trucks separately from 
those of the separator. The independent stacker was quite 
universally popular at one time. Of late years the wind 



THE STRAW STACKERS 179 

stacker and other swinging stackers have replaced it very 
generally. These later stackers, from the first, were more 
popular with the threshermen because no time is lost in 
setting and aligning them. The independent stacker requires 
a complete common stacker, usually an eighteen-foot, to 
deliver the straw onto it. The carrier supports are arranged 
to move the carrier towards the stack as it is elevated so the 
path of the end of the carrier approximates closely a vertical 
line. 

Putting together the Independent-Stacker. The frame 
and platform should be first mounted on the trucks. The 
long section of the carrier may be then placed in position and 
its radial supports and hoisting ropes attached. These ropes 
should be kept the same length so that the carrier will hang 
level. The short section of the carrier together with the 
ropes and reel-shaft for folding it may be next put on. 
When the carrier-rake, the slides for supporting it and the 
side-boards are put on, the stacker will be complete. The 
hood is attached to the end of the common stacker in such 
a manner as to prevent the wind from scattering the straw 
as it drops onto the independent-stacker. 

Setting the Independent-Stacker. Holes should be dug 
or blocking placed under the truck-wheels until the frame is 
level, both cross-wise and length-wise. This is necessary, 
as otherwise an excessive amount of power is required to 
swing it toward the higher side of the frame. The stacker 
must also be placed in alignment with the separator in order 



l80 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

to have the belt run properly on the pulleys. To prevent the 
belt from drawing the stacker ahead, at least one of the truck- 
wheels must be blocked. The block for this purpose should 
be carried with the machine so that it will not be necessary 
to hunt one each time the stacker is set. 

Operating the Independent-Stacker. The length of 
swing is governed by trip-pins and will be readily understood. 
Before leaving the machine with a stack part way up, it is 
best to lower the carrier until it rests on the stack, so that in 
case a wind springs up, the stacker v/ill not be in danger of 
being upset. The carrier should be folded and lowered 
until it rests on its supports before moving from place to 
place. No special instructions are necessary in respect to 
lubrication, except, perhaps, to call attention to the fact that 
the bearings of the rake-drive-shaft boxes should be fre- 
quently oiled. 

The Wind Stacker has steadily increased in popularity 
until to-day there are more of them sold than of all the 
various other varieties of stackers combined. The wind 
stacker was extremely popular with the threshermen from 
the first, because of its freedom from ''trappy" features, the 
absence of dust and litter about the separator equipped with 
it, and the ease with which the chute is swung around on 
the deck of separator for transportation. 

Operating the Wind Stacker. To make the chute swing- 
automatically, the two inch belt must be put on to drive the 
turret and if the clutch, which is operated by a rod handle 



THE STRAW STACKERS 



i8i 



from the foot-board, be engaged, the turret will slowly re- 
volve, carrying the chute with it. It may be made to go in 
the opposite direction at any time by throwing the reverse 
lever over by hand or it may be stopped by throv/ing the 
other clutch out by means of the rod. Rivets are used as trip 




FIG. 47. SECTIONAL VIEW OF WIND STACKER. 

pms and these will cause stacker to reverse its swing auto- 
matically, any desired length of swing being obtained by 
placing the trip pins in the different holes in the main-turn- 
ing worm-wheel. Care must be taken to see that these trip 



1 82 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



pins are removed before trying to swing the chute by means 
of the hand- wheel for if left in, a broken reverse lever may 
be the result. When a setting is nearly finished, the trip 
pins should be removed so that the chute may be turned on 
top of the machine as soon as the engine belt is thrown ofT. 
The machine should never be moved until the chute rests in 
its support. If it be not desired to use the automatic move- 
ment, the two-inch belt may be left off. 




FIG. 48. TELESCOPING DEVICE FOR STRAW-CHUTE. 

If the stacker drive belt does not run on the center of the 
stacker pulley, It may be made to do so b}^ inserting a little 
cardboard under the idler-pulley bracket. If the belt has 
been running too far out (or away from the machine), on 
the pulley, put the cardboard under the front part of the 
bracket, and if the belt runs too far in on the pulley, put the 
cardboard under the rear part of the bracket. Underlaying 



THE STRAW STACKERS 1 83 

the bracket above or below so as to raise the outer or the inner 
edge of the idler pnlley, will not change the position of the 
belt on the pulley to any extent. It must be put under the 
front or rear part to accomplish the desired result, as this will 
divert the course of the belt slightly on its way to the pulley. 

Stack Building with Wind Stacker. Where it is desir- 
able to stack the straw so as to preserve it, the wind stacker 
must be handled by a competent man. In starting the stack, 
bring the chute about level, extend it to its full length, raise 
the hood slightly, and build the back of the stack first. 
Always keep the farther side of the stack highest. Make 
the stack bottom at least one-third smaller than would be 
done were it built by hand, and allow the straw chute to 
oscillate. It is very important that the farther side of the 
stack be kept highest, as it furnishes a back wall to stop the 
force of the straw. A good rule to follow is : "Always 
throw the straw onto the stack and not over it." In topping 
out, allow the straw to strike the top and glance over it ; in 
this way the farther side of the stack will be filled out and 
the straw will be prevented from rolling down or going over 
too far. When the straw chute is at the corner of the 
stack, raise and lower hood quickly, thereby distributing 
the straw and binding the corner. 

Lubricating the Wind Stacker. Keep the bearings of the 
fan and jack shafts well lubricated with hard oil. The bevel- 
gears must be kept well greased. All the bearings and worm 
gears of the automatic device for swinging the straw chute 
should be oiled. 



1 84 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

Speed of Stacker Fan. Ordinarily, with the twenty-bar 
cyHnder running at 750 revolutions, a twelve-inch cylinder 
pulley (A301H), should be used on separators up to and 
including the 58 inch size. This gives a fan speed of 650 
revolutions per minute. On separators with 62 or 66 inch 
rears, a larger pulley (A296H, thirteen and one-half inches), 
should be used, which gives a fan speed of 720 revolutions 
per minute. AVith the twelve-bar cylinder running at its 
normal speed of 1075 revolutions, the eight and one-half 
inch pulley (A130H), will give the fan a speed of 665 revo- 
lutions per minute. It is desirable to keep the speed of the 
wind-stacker fan as low as possible, not only because it 
makes good stack building easier, but also because it requires 
less power to run. On page 516 of ''Kent's Pocket-Book" an 
example is given of a fan which took .25 H. P. to drive at a 
speed of 600. The same fan required .70 H. P., or nearly 
three times as much when the speed was increased to 800. 

Combination-Stackers. The combination-stacker has been 
made because of the demand for a stacker that would give 
the thresherman all the advantages of the simplicity and 
freedom from litter of the wind-stacker, and, at the same 
time, give the farmer, who desires to have his straw stacked 
by men placed on the stack, a stacker which delivers the 
straw onto the stack by means of an ordinary carrier and 
carrier-rake. 

Attaching the Combination-Stacker. Up to the point 
of putting on the turret, this stacker is attached in the same 



TI-IE STRAW STACKERS 185 

manner as the wind-stacker. The turret, however, which 
has the mechanism for driving the rake, in addition to the 
parts used on the wind-stacker, is attached eight inches 
higher than that of the wind-stacker, in order to bring the 
carrier sufficiently high to swing clear of the deck of the 
separator. Holes are provided in the posts of the frame 
for attaching the turret in the positions required by either the 
combination- or wind-stacker. After the turret is in place, 
and the two sections of the carrier bolted together, the 
carrier may be attached. This is conveniently done by plac- 
ing it in position upon the deck of the separator, as for trans- 
portation. Tlic hoisting cables, sprockets, chain, hand- 
wheels for operating and the carrier-rake may now be put on. 
The presser-strips are hinged to the hinged-screen at one 
end, their outer end l^eing carried by leather straps. 

Operating the Comhination-Stacker. This stacker re- 
ceives its sv/ing movemicnt in the same manner as the wind- 
stacker. The trip-pins v/hich determine the length of the 
swing must be removed before attempting to swing it by 
means of the hand-wheel. The hoisting mechanism is self- 
locking so the carrier cannot fall. The presser-strips hold 
the straw against the carrier-rake, thereby making it possible 
to elevate the carrier to an angle of about forty-five degrees. 
The carrier should always be swung onto the deck of the 
separator before moving the machine from place to place. 
Stack-builders, who are unfamiliar with this stacker, should 
be cautioned against starting the stack too far under the car- 



1 86 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

rier as it does not pull away from the stack until elevated to 
a considerable height. 

Oiling the Combination-Stacker. The bearings of the 
jack- and upright-shafts are fitted with compression-cups 
for hard-oil. These may be turned up as often as necessary 
to give sufficient lubrication. The bevel-gears driving the 
fan should be greased. The turret mechanism driving the 
carrier-rake should be oiled occasionally. The intermediate- 
gear-ring, and the two small pinions meshing with it, should 
be greased. 



CHAPTER X. 



THE GRAIN HANDLERS. 




HE devices used to take the grain from the 
grain auger and deliver it into sacks or 
wagons, as the case might be, are called 
"grain handlers." These are made in six 
styles, some of which, in addition to elevat- 
ing the grain, weigh it and automatically 
record the number of bushels threshed. 
The weight of a given quantity of grain varies according 
to the kind and quality. Although almost universally sold 
by the bushel, the number of bushels is determined by weight 
so that the grain is actually sold by the pound. For example, 
if the price of wheat be one dollar per bushel, one dollar will 
purchase sixty pounds of wheat. Sixty pounds.^ of heavy 
wheat Will not fill a bushel measure, but this weight of 
light v/heat will more than fill the measure. In the days 
when there vv^ere no grain handlers, and the grain from the 
separator was delivered into half-bushel or bushel measures, 
it was usually customary to give ''big measure." By this 
method, were a farmer to sell all of his grain, he would 
receive pay for a greater number of bushels than he paid 
the thresherman for, for threshing it. This custom of giv- 

187 



1 88 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSP^UL THRESHING. 

ing- "big measure" in threshing, undoubtedly grew out of 
the fact that it was necessary to heap the measure in order 
to make the hght grain 'liold out." Since the measuring 
was done by someone who looked out for the interests of the 
farmer rather than those of the thresherman^ the measures 
were usually heaped with all that they would hold, and in 
some cases, even tamped in order to make them hold more. 
This, of course, was unfair to the thresherman. The thresli- 
erman should insist on pay for every bushel by weight, as he 
would do, were he sellings the grain. When engaging the 
threshing, he should tell the farmer of his intention to do 
this, and then, if the former price were too high, it might 
be adjusted accordingly. Since the weighing attachments 
accurately weigh and automatically record the number of 
bushels threshed, all fair minded men must admit that the 
use of one insures a record of the amount threshed that is 
fair to both thresherman and farmer. The prejudice against 
Vv^eighers that has, in some cases, existed because of the 
custom of giving "big measure" has gradually disappeared 
until they have come into almost universal use. Their 
accuracy was at first often doubted, but in many cases the 
weigher's record of a certain amount of grain has been 
compared with the weight of the same grain on standard 
scales and found to correspond very closely. 

The Number One Weigher consists of an elevator per- 
manently attached to the left side of the separator, the 
weighing apparatus, and a conveyor across the deck of 



THE GRAIN HANDLERS. 



189 



the separator. The cross-conveyor is of sufficient height to 
deHver the grain into a wagon box on either side of the 

machine. The 
purchaser of a 
Number One 
weigher is given 
the choice of two 
plain spouts for 
dehvering the 
grain in bulk into 
wagon boxes, oir 
of the bagging 
attachment for 
delivering the 

FIG. 49. HEAD OF CASE WEIGHER. graiin iuto sacks. 
(This bagging attachment has twin-spouts to allow putting 
on the empty sack before removing the full one). The 
Number-One weigher requires no folding for moving on the 
road, and is no higher than any other part of the separator. 
For these reasons it is largely used in localities in which the 
threshing is done principally in and around barns. It is 
one of the most popular of the grain handlers. 

The Number Two Weigher is also called the "Dakota 
style weigher". The elevator is so high that the grain is 
sufficiently elevated to be delivered by the long spout on 
either side of the machine. In this way the cross conveyor 
is dispensed with. As the spout is long, it will hold con- 




1 90 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

siderable grain so that the exchange of sacks may be made 
even in fast threshing, without danger of choking the ele- 
vator by obstructing its delivery. The grain may be de- 
livered in bulk into wagons driven along side the separator 
as the end of the spout is a sufficient distance from the 
separator to make it imnecessary to back the wagon up to 
the machine. Where grain is to be sacked, an empty sta- 
tionary wagon may be used to sack in, thus avoiding the 
necessity of lifting the sacks of grain into the wagon which 
hauls them away. The long spout is provided with hooks 
to hold the sacks. The Number Two weigher is used very 
generally in the localities where the threshing is done in the 
open field. It is the only suitable grain-handler for use in 
connection with portable-bins, such as are quite generally 
used in the northwest; The spout is long enough to deliver 
the grain into these bins and the weighing apparatus auto- 
matically records the number of bushels threshed. 

The Nnmher Three Weighing-Bagger. This attachment 
is intended for use in putting the grain into sacks on the 
ground and it can only be used on the left-hand side of the 
separator. It has the same weighing mechanism as the 
Number One and Number Two Weighers. 

The Number Four Bagger. This grain-handler does not 
weigh the threshed grain, but is used simply to elevate it 
to a sufficient height to run into sacks. In order to keep 
the men sacking always on the windward or clean side of the 
separator, it is often desirable to change the bagger from 



TI-IE GRAIN HANDLERS. TQT 

one side to the other. In doing this, it is also necessary to 
change the drive to the other side as the belt driving must 
always be on the side opposite the elevator. The direction 
in v/hich the anger runs must also be reversed and this is 
accomplished by running the drive-belt crossed, when the 
elevator is on the left-hand side of the separator and straight, 
when the bagger is on the right-hand side. On separators 
fitted with common stackers, when the elevator is on the 
right-hand side, pulley No. 1223T should be used on the 
grain auger, and pulley No. 529T on the top of the tailings 
elevator; when the elevator is on the l^it-hand side, pulley 
No. 529T should be used on the grain-auger and pulley No. 
1223T on the tailings elevator. 

The Nunihcr Five Loader. This attachment serves the 
same general purpose as the Number Two Weigher, except 
that it does not weigh the grain. 

Tlie Number Six Loader is similar to the Number One 
Weigher, but has no weighing mechanism. For those who 
desire to sack on the ground it may be used in place of the 
Number Four. The delivery of the grain may be changed 
from one side of the separator to the other by simply throw- 
ing a lever. It may be used to run the grain into a wagon 
box in bulk or into sacks in wagons as desired, as was ex- 
plained for the Number One Weigher. 

Attaching Grain-Handlers. All of the *'Case" grain- 
handlers, except the Number Four, require a left-hand grain 
auger. When it is desired to attach one of these elevators 



192 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

to separators built previous to the year of 1899, which were 
fitted with the right-hand grain augers, it is necessary to 
replace the old auger by a left-hand one, or the attachment 
will not work. The Number Four Bagger is ordinarily used 
with a left-hand grain auger, but it may be used with light- 
hand as well. To do this, it is necessary to remove the 
chain, and unbolt and reverse either the head or the boot. 

Caution Regarding the Sprocket-Chain. The chain in 
the elevators of all the grain-handlers must be kept properly 
adjusted. Since they are driven from the bottom, when the 
chain is too loose, it does not hug the sprocket properly and 
wears unnecessarily. On the other hand the chain should not 
be so tight as to be in tension, for this causes unnecessary 
friction and the consequent wear on the chain and shafts. As 
the chain wears, the hook of each link may be closed by ham- 
mering its point, while its back rests on the horn of an anvil 
or similar projection. In this way the chain may be kept 
free from danger of unhooking until worn so that it fails 
from weakness. When necessary to shorten the chain, al- 
ways remove two links at a time so that an odd number, 
three or five, of plain links remains between the cups or 
''flights," as they are called. This is necessary because the 
lower sprocket has teeth engaging only alternate links of the 
chain and the links with flights attached must skip the teeth. 

Calculating a Quantity of Grain. Where a weigher is 
not used, the amount of grain in a wagon-box, portable bin 
or in any rectangular receptacle, may be calculated as fol- 



THE GRAIN HANDLERS. 1 93 

lows : Determine the length, width and height in inches, 
multiply them together and divide the product by 2150, the 
number of cubic-inches in a bushel. The quotient will be 
the number of bushels. Where the depth is not uniform, 
several measurements should be taken and their average 
used. For example, the usual wagon-box is thirty-six inches 
wide, one hundred and twenty-four inches long and sixteen 
inches deep. Therefore, when level full, it holds, (36X124X 
16) divided by 2150, equals 33.22 bushels. This equals 2.07 

bushels for each inch in depth. In the same manner, the 
forty-inch wagon-box will hold (40x124x16) divided by 
2150, equals 36.91 bushels, or 2.37 bushels for each inch in 
depth. This method of calculating the quantity of grain 
gives the correct result only when the grain is standard 
weight, and when lighter or heavier, correction should be 
made accordingly. The weight per bushel of grain and 
seeds is given on the following page. 



194 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



Weight Per Bushel of Grain. The following table gives 
the number of pounds per bushel required by law or custom 
in the sale of grain or seeds in the several states. 



Pi 






Arkansas , 

California , 

Connecticut 

Dist. Columbia 

Georgia 

Illinois. 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Manitoba 

Maryland 

Massachusetts. . . . 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Missouri 

Nebraska 

New York 

New Jersey 

New Hampshire . 
North Carolina... 

North Dakota 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania .... 
South Dakota .... 
South Carolina . . . 

Vermont 

Virginia 

West Virginia 

Wisconsin 



48 
50 



47 
40 
48 
48 
48 
50 
48 
32 
48 

48 
48 
48 
48 
48 
48 
48 
48 
48 



48 
48 
48 
48 
46 

47 
48 
48 
48 
48 
48 
48 



60 



62 



60 
60 
60 
60 
60 



64 

'64" 
48 

60 
60 
60 
62 

'60 



60 



60 
64 
60 
60 



52 
40 

45 

48 



52 
50 
52 
50 
52 



48 
48 
48 



48 
42 
52 
52 
48 
50 



50 
42 
50 
42 

42 

48 
52 
56 
48 
48 
52 
48 



60 



60 
60 
60 
60 
60 



56 



56 



60 



56 



60 



56 



60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
64 



56 
'56 



64 
60 
60 
60 
60 
62 
60 
60 

64' 
60 
60 



,56 



56 



56 
60" 



45 



48 



34 



48 
50 



50 



32 
32 
32 
35 
32 
32 
32 
32 
32 
32 
30 
34 
32 
32 
32 
32 
32 
34 
32 
30 
30 
30 
32 
32 
32 
36 
30 
32 
33 
32 
32 
32 
32 



56 
54 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 



56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
50 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 



56 
52 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
58 
56 
56 
54 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 
56 



45 



45 
45 

45 
45 
45 
45 



45 

45 

45 
45 
44 



45 



42 
45 
45 



CHAPTER XI. 



LUBRICATION AND CARE OF TIIE SEPARATOR. 




HE life of the machine depends largely upon 
the thoroughness of its lubrication. A light 
oil with good wearing qualities should be 
used. Thin oil is surer to reach the place It 
is intended to lubricate than thick, heavy oil. 
A journal is more apt to be continually lubri- 
cated when a small amount of oil is applied 
frequently than when a great deal is used at longer intervals. 
Many of the oil boxes on the machine, as for example those 
on the rock shafts, may be partly filled with wool or cotton 
waste. Either will keep out dirt and make them hold oil 
longer. This wool or waste should be renewed at the be- 
ginning of each season and more frequently in localities in 
which there is sand. Use a nail or soft ware to clean out oil 
holes, for if a piece of steel be used when shaft is running, it 
is liable to ''score" and injure the journal. 

Hot Bearings. The causes of hot bearings are : I — In- 
sufficient lubrication because of too little or too poor oil or 
hole being stopped up ; 2 — Dirt or grit on the journal ; 3 — 
P)Ox too tight ; 4 — Belt too tight ; 5 — Box not in line with 
shaft ; 6 — Collar or pulley too tight against end of box ; 7- — 
Journal rough or shaft sprung. In case a box heats, cool 

195 



196 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

with water, clean the oil holes carefully, oil liberally and if it 
gets hot again, stop and remove the cap, clean the bearing 
carefully and be sure the oil holes and grooves are open be- 
fore replacing it. Also be careful to leave the paper liners 
undisturbed. If the babbitt has adhered to the shaft, because 
of overheating, scrape every particle of it from the shaft with 
a knife. If the journal has been cut and is consequently 
rough because of the formation of ridges, smooth it carefully 
with a fine file and wipe it thoroughly so that no filings re- 
main. Oil it well before replacing cap. Because of the ex- 
pansion due to heating, it sometimes happens that a shaft 
that is cutting becomes fast in its box so that it will not turn. 
If the box be in one piece so there is no cap to remove, after 
cooling with water, kerosene may be applied to loosen it. In 
very windy weather the right cylinder box requires especial 
attention as the constant swaying of the main-belt causes an 
extra amount of friction on this bearing. 

Greasing the Trucks. This book would be incomplete 
without a word of warning concerning the damage, fre- 
quently caused by neglect, to the skeins and hubs of the 
trucks of an outfit. To make the lubrication of truck-wheels 
convenient, in some cases, the hubs are provided with oil- 
holes which are closed with plugs. It has been found, how- 
ever, that this means of lubricating cannot be relied upon, as 
the holes are sure to become clogged, and unless great care 
is taken in cleaning them, very little or no oil will reach that 
part of the axle which needs it most. All truck-wheels 



LUBRICATION AND CARE OF THE SEPARATOR. I97 

should frequently be removed and the skein cleaned of all 
caked grease and dirt. The skein should then be well coated 
with axle-g"rease, especially near the large end which has the 
greatest wear. It is well to spread some machine-oil over 
the axle-grease. The separator truck-wheels especially 
should have frequent attention, as the dust and chaff of 
threshing quickly dries the grease or oil. A good operator 
will not permit the skeins and hubs of the machinery in his 
care to be injured for want of proper lubrication. 

The Care of a Separator. With good care a separator 
should last eight or ten years, and there are many Case 
machines that have been in use twice that length of time. 
When the threshing season is finished, the machine should 
be thoroughly cleaned and housed in a dry place. Dirt that 
has been allowed to remain on the machine during the win- 
ter, holds moisture, ruins varnish and paint, rots the wood 
and rusts' the sieves and other iron parts. The appearance 
of a machine usually tells a truer tale of its condition than 
the number of years it has been run. The separator should 
be given a coat of good coach varnish at least once in two 
years. Before applying the varnish, the paint should be 
thoroughly cleaned and all grease and oil removed with 
benzine. 

Before the beginning of each threshing season, the 
separator should be carefully overhauled, worn cylinder teeth 
being removed and all broken slats in the straw-rack or 
stacker-rakes being replaced. Any boxes that are worn 



198 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

should be taken up or rebabbitted if necessary. The wooden 
boxes on the straw-rack, conveyor and shoe eccentrics can 
easily and cheaply be replaced when worn out. All nuts 
that are loose should be tightened and any bolts that may 
have been lost, replaced. In tightening a nut it should 
always be turned; square with the piece on which it rests. 
If this' be habitually done, not only does the machine look 
better, but it serves to make the loosening of a nut apparent. 

Canvas-Cover. If a canvas be used to cover the separa- 
tor nights and when not running during the threshing 
season, its appearance will amply repay the extra trouble 
and expense, in addition to prolonging its usefulness. 

hi Laying up the Machine see that the bolster is blocked 
up by bolster-jacks or other means so as to hold the frame 
square. This is especially necessary if the separator has a 
side-gear, if the main-belt remains on the reel, or, if for 
other reasons, one side is heavier than the other. 

Remoinng the Beater. The beater can be taken out of the 
machine without removing the shaft or pulley. This may be 
done on wood-frame machines by removing the pieces of 
siding and the bolts holding bearings and blocks and lifting 
the beater straight up. On steel machines the girt and 
circular piece of sheet-steel on the left-hand side are removed 
and the beater taken out through the hole thus created. 

To Remove Rock-Shafts. The rock-shafts are enlarged 
at one end so that when the set-screws are loosened, they 
may be readily removed. The front rock-shaft is straight 



LUBRICATION AND CARE' OF THE SEPARATOR. I99 

and can be taken out at the left side of the machine by 
simply loosening- the set-screws in the vibrating-arms. Tli^ 
rear rock-shaft is bent and is taken out by loosening the 
set-screws and moving it to the riglit until it comes out of 
the left-arm. It may then be removed by sliding it towards 
the left side of the machine. 

To EcmoTC the Strazv-Rack. Take off the tailor-rack, 
pan and rock-shaft, if these parts be on the machine. Take 
off the four straw-rack boxes, the bolts of which can be 
easily reached with a socket-wrench througli, the holes for 
vibrating-arms. The rack can then be taken out through 
the rear of the machine. On separators fitted with v/ind- 
stackers, it is necessary to remove the rear board. 

To Remove the Conveyor. If the straw-rack be already 
out, simply unbolt the four boxes. The bolts of the front 
ones have their nuts below and those of the rear ones can 
be reached while sittins: in the shoe. To remove the con- 
veyoir without taking out the straw-rack, di3Connect the 
latter from the rear rock-shaft, raise it as high as possible 
and secure it in this position. The conveyor can then be 
taken out. 

To Remove the Shoe. The shoe can be taken out without 
removing the straw-rack or conveyor. Take out the rear 
rock-shaft, raise the straw-rack and conveyor as high as 
the deck will allovv^ and secure them in this position. Dis- 
connect the four wood hangers and pitmans and the shoe 
mav then be taken out. 



200 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

To Reach the Fan. The lov^/er part of fan housing is 
readily removed when it is necessary to reach the fan for 
repairs or other purposes. Take out the bolts through the 
end segments and those at the joint on the front side of 
the drum. 




CHAPTER XII. 
THE BELTING OF A SEPARATOR. 

HE Belting of the separator should be care- 
fully looked after, as the working of the 
machine depends in a large measure upon 
the condition of the belts. The pulleys must 
be in line, to insure the belt running on them 
to its full width. Where the shafts are par- 
allel a belt will always run to the tightest 
place or where the pulleys are largest. For this reason, all 
pulleys on the separator are made larger in the middle 
"crowning" as it is called, so belts will tend to run in the 
center. 

The separator tender should look over the belts once 
each day and re-lace any on which the lacing has become 
worn. This will prevent the necessity of stopping to repair 
a belt when the machine should be running. Some thresher- 
men, realizing the expense of delays, carry an extra set, so 
that in case anything happens to any belt in use, the extra 
one may be put on and the work immediately continued. 
If it starts to rain while threshing, the separator should be 
stopped at once, and the belts, especially the leather ones, 
put under cover before they get wet. The machine will run 
only a few minutes in the rain "before the belts begin to slip 



202 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

and come off, and it is best to stop in time and keep them 
in good condition to start again. 

Leather Belts. All leather belts should be run hair side 
to the pulley. Some years ago mechanics and engineers 
disagreed as to which side of the leather should be next to 
the pulley, but it has been shown that belts last longer and 
transmit more power when run hair side to the pulley. The 
reason is that the flesh side is more flexible and will more 
readily accommodate itself to the curve of the pulley. If 
the more rigid hair side be obliged to stretch every time it 
goes around a pulley, it will crack, in time. When leather 
belts become hard, they should be softened with neatsfoot oil, 
for a flexible belt will transmit more power than a hard, stiff 
one. The mineral oils used for lubricating purposes rot 
leather rapidly and consequently, belts should be kept as 
free from them as possible. 

A Rubber Belt should always be put on with the seam, 
which is near the center, and covered with a narrow strip of 
rubber, on the outside, and not next to the pulley. The 
cleaner a rubber belt is kept, the better. No dressing of 
any kind should be used. Anything of a sticky nature adher- 
ing to it, will have a tendency to pull off the outer coating 
of rubber and greatly injure the belt. Oils of all kinds 
should be carefully avoided, and should a rubber belt acci- 
dentally become covered with oil, it is best to wash it off 
with soap and v/ater. The best place to store rubber belts is 
in the cellar, as dampness and darkness tend to preserve them 



THE BELTING OF A SEPARATOR. 203 

while light, especially direct sunlight, and extreme dryness 
tend to rot the rubber. 

The Main Belt is usually of rubber or stitched canvas in 
widths of six, seven or eight inches, and made endless in 
lengths of 120, 150 or 160 feet. The object in having it so 
long is to place the engine far enough from the grain to be 
safe from fire. Accordingly, the 120 foot length may be used 
when the fuel is coal, but when burning wood or straw, the 
longer lengths should be used. The usual arrangement of 
the stacks in the locality the rig is to operate in, must also 
be taken into consideration in choosing the length of belt. 
With the engine having a forty inch fly-wheel and running 
at 250 revolutions per minute, the main belt will travel 2625 
feet, or almost exactly one-half mile in a minute. A belt 
has a greater tendency to slip on the smaller of the two pul- 
leys over which it runs and for this reason, the cylinder pul- 
ley is covered with leather or similar material. When the 
cover is worn out, a new one should be put on as no main 
belt will pull well on a bare cylinder pulley. Rubber belts 
pull well at all times, and do not require dressing, in fact, 
any dressing is injurious, because it has a tendency to pull 
off the outer coating of rubber. To obtain the best results, 
stitched canvas belts, however, should be treated to a coat 
of dressing once in about thirty days. Linseed oil paint is 
often used, and it is better than no dressing at all, but the 
regular dressing sold for this purpose is preferable, as it 
keeps the belt waterproof and pliable and greatly increases 
its power transmitting qualities. 



204 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL TPIRESHING. 

Lacing a Belt. Many make a mistake in thinking that 
the heavier and stronger a lacing is made, the more durable 
it will be. This leads them to make the lacing so thick and 
clumsy that the belt is strained in going around the pulleys, 
causing the lace to wear out in a short time and probably the 
belt to be torn between the holes. A good lacing is as sim- 
ilar as possible to the rest of the belt, so that it passes over 
the pulleys without shock or jar. To lace a belt begin by 
cutting off the ends of the belt square, using a try-square for 
this purpose on the wider belts. Use a punch small enough 
so that the lacing will fill the holes, but will not pull in so 
tightly as to tear the belt. Space the holes equally across 
the belt, leaving the outside holes far enough (about one- 
half inch), from the edge of the belt to prevent the possibility 
of their tearing out. The cuts at top of page 2o6 show the 
position of the holes for the common widths of belts. In a 
leather belt the holes may be quite near the end (/^ to ^ 
inches), without tearing out, and when so placed the belt will 
pass smoothly over the pulleys. A belt is much more apt 
to break or tear between the holes than it is to tear from the 
holes to the end. 

The belt of a stacker-web laced by turning up the ends of 
the belt is shown by A and B of Fig. 50. Any rubber or 
stitched canvas belt that does not run over idler or tightener 
pulleys, causing both sides of the belt to be in contact with 
pulleys, may be laced in this way. For these this lacing has 
the advantage of lasting two or three times as long as the 



THE BELTING OF A SEPARATOR. 20$ 

ordinary one. The reason is tliat the lace is not exposed to 
wear and the belt will pass around the smallest pulley without 
straining either holes or lace leather. If trouble be experi- 
enced in keeping an old main belt laced, this method may be 
used with success. 

A four-inch belt laced in the ordinary manner is shown 
by C and D. The side shown in C should run next to the 
pulley. The lacing shown on the next page is very satisfac- 
tory where a belt passes over small pulleys or idlers, for it 
bends easily in either direction. It is therefore very durable 
and satisfactory for a rubber or stitched canvas wind stacker 
belt. Also the belt driving beater and crank should be 
laced this way, but as this is of leather, the holes may be 
nearer tlie end than in the cut, which shows the spacing for 
rubber or stitched canvas. 

The holes to fasten the ends should be punched in line 
with the lace-holes so that they will be in the right place 
when the belt is cut off and they become lace holes. The 
best way to fasten an end is to draw it into a small hole, 
then back through the same hole, cutting off the end to leave 
about one-half inch. New belts stretch considerably the first 
few days and the ends of the lacing should not be cut off 
short until the stretch is taken out of the belts, so the same 
lacing may be used for re-sewing. If the belts have become 
wet and shrunk, the lacings should be let out before putting 
them on. If very tight, they cause undue friction on th^ 



2o6 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



bearings, making- them heat. Then, too, tight belts have 
been known to break off a shaft. 



t- 



<) — (> 



-® — -^ 4 i (^ 



<>—<> 



j-^-il 



-^' 



•Zf 



"i j'/"|*-r 'hi' 



JS^ 



ill^ 



^>- 






FIG. 50. LEATHER BELT LACINGS. 

Lacing Stitched Canvas Belt. A stitched canvas belt, 
though highly satisfactory in other respects, is often con- 
demned because the lacing will not hold. It can, however, 



THE BELTING OF A SEPARATOR. 



207 



be laced in several ways that are satisfactory. In any event, 
the holes for the lacing must be made with an awl and not 
with a hollow punch, which cuts off many strands and 
greatly weakens the belt. The tine of an old pitchfork makes 
a very good awl for this purpose and the oval shape will be 
found convenient. The holes must not be nearer the end 
than seven-eighths of an inch or nearer the edge than five- 
eighths of an inch. 

The lacing illustrated we believe the best for canvas 
stitched belts, and we advise any thresherman having the 
running of these belts in charge to practice making this lac- 
ing" some rainy day until he can make it without difficulty. 
It is a hinge lacing which allows it to pass around small 
pulleys and tighteners without straining. The ends of the 
belt are protected against fraying. In the example illustrated, 
there are twenty-eight strands of lacing connecting two ends 
of the belt. 

The illustrations 
show a 5-inch belt, the 
size used to drive the 
wind stacker. To make 
this lacing, first select a 
good lace, not too thick. 

three-eighths of an inch ^,^^ ^^^ location of holes for 
wide and 7 feet 8 inches lacing canvas belt. 

long for 5-inch belt. Lay out the holes as shown in 
Fig. 51. Begin at one edge of the belt, passing the lace up 



— ©• 



-ri- 



— - 



-i- 



-a- 



4-1 



2o8 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



through the outside hole in one end and then down between 
the ends of the beh and up through the hole in the other end 
of belt. Notice that the lace passes twice through each hole. 
When the ends of the lace have been put through the holes, 
both must be passed between the ends of the belt to the 




^.-^i KiiJi^^iifliii'tir'"'*^ 



D 



STITCHED CANVAS BELT LACINGS 



c 

FIG. 52. 

Opposite side, as shown in A. When this is done, put the 
ends through the same holes again, then pass them both 
between the ends of the belt to opposite side as at B. 
One end should not be put through two holes in succession 
and both ends of the lace must he passed through between 



THE BELTING OF A SEPARATOR. 209 

the ends of the belt to the opposite side before either is put 
through the hole. 

Continue in exactly the same manner as at C, until the 
lacing is finished as shown in D. When lacing is complete 
the appearance is exactly the same on both sides, the 
straight strands being on one end of the belt on one side, 
and on the other end on the opposite side. Care must 
betaken to keep lacing as near the sape tension through- 
out the width as possible, so that one edge will not be 
tighter than the other, in which case the belt would be 
crooked and not run true. For the same reason a tr}'- 
square should be used in cutting off the ends of the belt. 



210 



SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



BELTS FOR CASE SEPARATORS. 



NAME 


u 

O u 

am 


i) 


3 

■i-> 

as 


•S 
'$ 


a 


Crank and Beater 


20-Bar 

I2-Bar 

I2-Bar 

20-Bar 

I2-Bar 

Both 

20- Bar 

i2-Bar 


Both 

Steel 

Wood 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Steel 

Steel 


Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 


6" 

A" 
A" 


18' 4" 
16' II'' 


Crank and Beater 


Crank and Beater 


16' 2" 


Fan 


19' II" 

18' 6" 


Fan 


Elevator 


14' \i" 

15' 2%" 
11' 11^'' 


Elevator 


Grain Auger 


Grain Auger • 


I2-Bar 
20-Bar 


Wood 
Both 


j Leather 


2K" 


12' 3" 


Shoe Shake 


20-Bar 

20-Bar 

i2-Bar 

20-Bar 

Both 

I2-Bar 

20-Bar 

20-Bar 

Both 


Steel 

Wood 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Steel 

Wood 

Steel 


Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Leather 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 
Rubber 


2'' 
2" 

A" 
4" 
2" 

5" 

5" 


4' 11^'' 

5' 3" 

14' A" 

15' A" 

8' 1" 


Shoe Shake 


Feeder Drive 


Feeder Drive 


Feeder, small 


Wind Stacker Drive 


34' 10" 
36' 6'' 
38' 0" 
28' 0" 


Wind Stacker Drive 


Wind Stacker Drive 


Wind Stacker Drive, geared 


Wind Stacker Drive, geared 


I2-Bar 


Wood 


Rubber 


<' 


if 0" 


Wind Stacker Drive, geared 


20-Bar 


Wood 


Rubber 


<' 


28' 7" 


Combined Stacker Drive 


20-Bar 


Steel 


Rubber 


<' 


37' 0" 


Combined Stacker Drive 


I2-Bar 


Both 


Rubber 


<' 


35' 5" 


Combined Stacker Drive. 


20-Bar 


Wood 


Rubber 


<' 


38' 6" 




Both 


Steel 


Rubber 


'<' 


28' 3" 


Combined Stacker Drive, geared 


Both 


Wood 


Rubber 


<' 


3o' 0" 




Both 


Steel 


Rubber 


2" 


11' II" 


Wind Stacker Turret Drive 


i2-Bar 


Wood 


Rubber 


2" 


II' 9" 




20-Bar 


Wood 


Rubber 


2" 


13' 4" 


Combined Stacker Turret Drive 


Both 


Steel 


Rubber 


2%" 


14' 10" 


Combined Stacker Turret Drive 


Both 


Wood 


Rubber 


1%" 


16' 6" 


Attached Stacker Drive 


i2-Bar 


Both 


Rubber 


A" 


31' 0" 


Attached Stacker Drive 


20-Bar 


Both 


Rubber 


A" 


32' 8" 


Attached Stacker Drive, geared. 


Both 


Both 


Rubber 


A" 


25' 5" 


Attached Stacker, short 


Both 


Both 


Leather 


1" 


6' 5" 


Attached Stacker, long 


Both 


Both 


Leather 


2^'' 


19' 2" 


Common Stacker 


Both 
Both 


Both 
Both 


Rubber 
Rubber 


3" 
3" 


22' 3" 

35' 0" 


Independent Stacker 






CHAPTER XIII. 

THE pullp:ys of a separator. 

ULLEYS are usually held in place on the 
shafts either by taper-keys or by set-screws. 
Sometimes straight keys or ''feather" keys, 
as they are called, are used, but as these only 
prevent the pulley from turning, set-screws 
or other means must be used to secure the 
pulley against sliding on the shaft. When 
used with feather-keys, set-screw^s are placed so their points 
rest on the key and thus do not score or mar the shaft. 

Taper Keys. A taper key when properly fitted, holds a 
pulley very securely. To do this, however, such a key must 
be the same width throughout its length and accurately fit 
the slots or ''seats" cut for it on the shaft and in the pulley. 
The thickness should vary to correspond with that of the 
key-way in the pulley. A key should be driven in hard 
enough to be safe against working loose, but when well 
fitted, it is not necessary to drive it so hard that it may not 
be readily removed. The hubs of most of the pulleys on the, 
machine run against the boxes, and in keying these, about 
1/32 of an inch end play should be allowed the shaft, to 
prevent danger of heating from the pulley rubbing too hard 
against the end of the box. A key that is too thin, but other- 



212 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

wise fits properly may be made tight by putting a strip of 
tin or sheet-iron between it and the bottom of the way in the 
pulley. 

Drawing Taper Keys. A taper key can usually be re- 
moved by driving the pulley toward the thin end of the key. 
Often, however, the pulley cannot be driven a sufficient dis- 
tance to loosen the key because of its coming against a box 
or another pulley. If the end of the key projects beyond the 
hub, it may be removed by catching it with a pair of horse- 
shoe pinchers and prying with them against the hub, at the 
same time hitting the hub with a hammer so as to drive pulley 
on. Sometimes the end of a key may be caught with a claw 
hammer and loosened by driving on the hub of pulley as 
explained. If a pulley is against the box and key cut off flush 
with the hub, it may be necessary to remove the shaft, drive 
the pulley on until the key loosens or if key-seat be long 
enough, a ''drift" may be used from the inside. 

Covering Pidleys. The smaller pulleys on which the 
belts are likely to slip are covered or lagged with leather or 
other similar material. The important thing in covering 
any pulley is to get the leather tight, because it will soon 
come off if there be any slack in it. 

Nailed Covers. Some pulleys are cast with recesses in 
their rims for the insertion of wooden wedges. These pul- 
leys are easily lagged because the covers are fastened, simply 
by nailing to the wooden wedges. To re-cover a pulley 
fitted with wooden wedges, take off what remains of the old 



THE PULLEYS OF A SEPARATOR. 213 

cover, pull out the nails and renew the wedges if necessary. 
Select a good piece of leather a little wider than face of 
pulley and about four inches longer than the distance 
around. Soak it in water about an hour. Cut off one end 
square and nail it to one pair of the wedges, using nails just 
long enough to clinch. To stretch the leather, use a clamp 
made of two pieces of wood and two bolts.- Block the shaft 
to keep it from turning, and stretch the leather by prying 
over the clamp with two short levers. The leather should 
not be stretched around the whole pulley at once, but the 
clamp should be so placed that there is only sufficient room 
to nail to the next pair of wedges. Now move the clamp 
and nail to each pair of wedges in turn, finally nailing the 
leather again to the first pair before cutting off. Trim the 
edges even with the rim of the pulley. 

Riveted Covers. The same method of stretching the 
leather by means of a clamp may be used on pulleys with 
riveted covers or they can be covered in the following man- 
ner : Soak the leather in water for an hour. Cut off one end 
square, and rivet it on. Then draw the leather around the 
pulley and mark the next two pairs of holes. Punch holes 
in the leather a little back of the marks made by the first 
pair of holes and a little farther back of the marks made by 
the second pair of holes. Insert the points of two scratch 
awls through the second pair of holes in the leather and into 
the corresponding holes in the pulley rim. Using scratch 
awls as levers, draw the leather very tight and the first pair 



214 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

of rivets may be easily inserted. Move the awls to the third 
pair of holes, insert the second pair of rivets and so on around 
the pulley. The tines of an old pitchfork drawn down a little 
at the points and tempered make very suitable scratch awls 
for this purpose. 




CHAPTER XIV. 
BABBITTING BOXES. 

O babbitt any kind of a box, first chip out all 
'*! of the old babbitt and clean the shaft and box 
thoroughly with benzine or gasoline. It is 
necessary that the box be perfectly clean or 
gas will be formed from the grease when 
the hot metal is poured in and leave "blow 
holes." 

A Solid Box may be babbitted in the field by covering 
the shaft with paper, draw it smooth and fasten the lapped 
ends with mucilage. If this be not done the shrinkage of the 
metal in cooling: mav make it fast so that the shaft cannot 
be turned. When this happens it is sometimes necessary to 
put the shaft and box together in the fire to melt the babbitt 
or else break the box to get it off. Paper around the shaft 
will prevent this and if taken out when the babbitt has 
cooled, the shaft will be found to be just loose enough to 
run well. The shaft is sometimes covered with smoke or 
painted with white lead as a substitute for paper. The usual 
shop practice in manufacturing is to use a mandrel or arbor 
from one one-hundredth to one sixty-fourth of an inch 
larger than the shaft to be run in the bearing. 

Before pouring the box, block up the shaft until it is 

215 



2l6 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

in line and in center of the box and put stiff putty around 
the shaft against the ends of the box to keep the babbitt from 
running out. Be sure to leave air-holes at each end on top, 
making a little funnel of putty around each. Also make a 
larger funnel around the pouring hole, or, if there be none, 
enlarge one of the air-holes and pour into it. These putty 
funnels should extend a little above the box so as to give 
pressure to the babbitt and to allow the metal to fill in, as it 
shrinks in coolinj?-. The metal should be heated until it is 
just hot enough to run freely and the fire should not be too 
far away. When ready to pour the box, do not hesitate or 
stop, but pour continuously and rapidly until the metal ap- 
pears at the air holes. The oil hole may be stopped with a 
wooden plug and if this plug extends through far enough 
to touch the shaft, it will leave a hole through the babbitt so 
that it will not be necessary to drill one. 

A Split Box is babbitted in the same manner except that 
strips of cardboard or sheet-iron are placed between the twO' 
halves of the box and against the shaft to divide the babbitt. 
To allow the ))abbitt to run from the upper half to the lower, 
cut four or six \^ shaped notches, a quarter of an inch deep. 
In the edges of the sheet-iron or cardboard which touch the 
shaft. Insert three or four thicknesses of cardboard called 
"liners" between the halves of the box to allow for taking 
up wear. Bolt the cap on securely before pouring. When 
the babbitt has cooled, break the box apart by driving a cold 
chisel between the halves. Trim ofif the sharp edges of the 



i;abbitting boxes. 217 

babbitt and with a round-nose chisel cut oil grooves from the 
oil hole toward the ends of the box and on the slack side of 
the box or the one opposite to the direction in which the 
belt pulls. The shaft may be covered with paper, as ex- 
plained for a solid box, but if this be not done, the babbitt 
should be scraped to fit the shaft. 

The ladle should hold eight or ten pounds of l)abbitt 
metal. If much larger it is awkward to handle and if too 
small it will not keep the metal hot long enough to pour a 
good box. A cast-iron ladle will keep the metal hot longer 
than a wrought-iron or steel one. The 20 bar cylinder boxes 
each take about six pounds of metal, and the 12 bar cylinder 
boxes each take two to three pounds. If no putty is at 
hand, clay mixed to the proper consistency, may be used. 
Use the best babbitt vou can obtain for the cvlinder boxes. 




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CHAPTER XV. • 
THE WASTE IN THRESHING. 

HERE is not a machine built at the present 
time that will save every kernel in all kinds 
and conditions of grain. The Case will sep- 
arate the sfrain from the straw as well as 
any machine made, but to accomplish the best 
results it must be properly operated. When 
one detects a machine wasting grain he 
usually imagines that the quantity wasted amounts to many 
times more than it actually does. If a stream of wheat as 
large as that which runs out of a grain-drill tooth were dis- 
covered going into the straw the farmer would probably say 
that the machine was wasting half the grain. Yet he knows 
that he must drive verv fast to sfet a bushel and a half of 
wheat through each grain drill tooth in a day. Roughly 
speaking, there are 600 handfuls or a million kernels of wheat 
in a bushel.'" This amount wasted in ten hours indicates 
that a handful or 1700 kernels is being wasted every minute. 
If farmers realized the economy of finishing a job as quickly 
as possible, irrespective of the grain lost, they would not 
attach so much importance to the small amount ordinarily 
wasted. 



*In the *'Thresher World" contest of August 1903, the bushel of 
wheat counted contained 869,762 kernels. 



219 



220 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

However, it is true that any separator will waste con- 
siderable grain if improperly operated. When there is reason 
to believe that a machine is wasting more than it should, 
first determine whether the grain is being carried over in the 
chaff or in the straw. 

// the Waste he at tJie SJioc, catch some of the chaff from 
the conveyor sieve and if grain be found, see that the sieve 
is properly adjusted for the kind of grain being threshed. 
If a common sieve be used, it should be coarse enough for 
the grain and its lips should be sufficiently bent open. Too 
high a speed will cause grain to be carried over the conveyor 
sieve. Do not use any more concave teeth than are neces- 
sary as the extra amount of chaff makes difficult work for 
the sieves. See that the blinds are adjusted so that the blast 
is no stronger than is necessary to clean the grain and keep 
the sieves working freely. If grain be still detected, open the 
adjustable conveyor sieve a little more. It should not be 
opened so much, however, as to overload the shoe sieve. The 
wind-board should throw the strongest blast about half way 
back on the conveyor sieve. Carrying ''traps" in the fan 
drum is liable to bend down this board which in some cashes 
becomes so sagged that some kernels slide over it into the fan, 
are struck by the fan wings and thrown entirely out of the 
machine. 

// waste he caused by failure to separate the grain from 
the straw, first see that the speed of the crank Is 230. The 
cause may be poor feeding which produces ''slugging" of the 



THE WASTE IN THRESH TNG. 221 

cylinder and the resultant variable motion. See that the 
check-board is properly adjusted. The cylinder and concave 
teeth must be kept in good order so that the grain will all be 
threshed from the heads and the straw cut up as little as pos- 
sible. When heads missed by the cylinder are threshed out 
by the wind stacker fan the machine is often criticised for 
poor separation when die trouble is actually caused b\- a 
neglected cylinder and concaves. 

The set of the fish-backs on the straw-rack increase the 
separating capacity. They are nailed to the risers of the 
straw-rack, two on the first riser back of the beater, three to 
the next and four to the last riser. 

Why it is difficult to separate grain from sfrazc. Straw 
and grain to the full capacity of the cylinder pass through 
the concave teeth at the rate of about one mile (5280 feet) 
per minute, and after passing the check-board the straw rack 
moves the straw about 102 feet per minute. At these three 
different speeds the straw passes the length of the machine, 
(about 14 feet 8 inches counting risers, or 13 feet 4 inches 
straight), in approximately ten seconds. The intermingled 
straw and grain move in the same direction and at the same 
rate of speed. The problem of separation is. then, to check 
and divert the course of the grain, at the same time allowing 
the straw to continue its passage through the machine. If 
the grain be not interrupted in its course, it will pass out with 
the straw, while clogging will result if the movement of the 
straw be arrested for even a second. 



222 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 

Shakespeare, with his many-sided wisdom, said : ''Two 
grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff; you shall seek 
all day ere you find them, and when you have them, they are 
not worth the search."''' 



*Merchant of Venice, Act i, vScene i. 



INDEX. 



A 

Page. 
Adjustment of Concaves . . 13 S 
Adjustment of Connecting- 
Rod 41 

Adjustment of Cross-Head. 4 3 
Adjustment of Eccentric- 
Strap 45 

Adjustment of Engine Bear- 
ings 41 

Adjustment of Friction 

Clutch 97 

Adjustment of Horse-Power 111 
Adjustment of Tailings- 
Elevator 150 

Adjustable Sieves 144 

Admission, Steam 55 

Alfalfa Threshing 167 

Ascending Hills 50 

Ascertaining Cylinder-Speed 131 

Attached Stacker 17S 

Attached Stacker, Oiling... 17S 
Attached Stacker, Operating 178 
Attaching Brake to Horse 

Power 114 

Attaching Combined Stacker 184 
Attaching Engine Fittings. 9 
Attaching Engine Tender... 104 

Attaching Feeder 172 

Attaching Grain Handlers.. 191 

Attaching Oil-Pump 37 

Attaching "Swift" Lubrica- 
tor 39 

B 

Babbitting a Solid Box 215 

Babbitting a Split Box 21(> 

Bagger, Number Four 190 

Balancing Cj^linder 135 

Barley, Threshing 156 

Beading Boiler Tubes 91 

Beans, Cylinder for 163 

Beans, Threshing 163 

Beater, The 138 

Beater, Removing 198 

E'earings, Hot 195 

Bearings, Adjustment of 

Engine 41 

Bearings, Lubrication of 

Engine 35 

Belts. Care of 201 



B 

Page. 

Belts for Governor 57 

Belts, Lacing 204 

Belts, Lacing a Canvas.... 206 

Belts, Leather 202 

Belts, Lengths of 210 

Belts, The Main 203 

Belts, Rubber 202 

Belting of a Separator 201 

Blinds, The Fan 143 

Blower, The 87 

Board, The Check 139 

Board, The Wind 144 

Boiler, The S3 

Boiler, Cleaning the S9 

Boiler, Using an Old 93 

Boiler, Fittings for 83 

Boiler, Foaming 87 

Boiler, Painting the 89 

Boiler, Pressure in an Old. 94 

Boiler, Priming 88 

Boiler, Temp, of Water in. 83 

Boiler, Temp, of Steam in. S3 

Boiler, Testing a 93 

Boiler Tubes, Expanding... 91 

Boxes, Babbitting 215 

Boxes, Babbitting Solid ... 215 

Boxes, Babbitting Split ... 216 

Boxes for Cylinder-Shaft .. 132 

Brake Horse Power 61 

Brake for the Horse-Power 114 

Brasses for Connecting-Rod 41 

Brass Fittings, Attaching.. 9 

Brick Arcli 31 

Broken Water-Glass 17 

Burning Coal 29 

Burning Straw ol 

Burning Wood 30 

Buckwlieat, Threshing .... 159 

Bull-Pinion Boxes 112 

Bull-Pinion Shaft 115 

Burdon Tube 85 

C 

Cable, The Use of 51 

Calculating the Horse-Power 61 
Calculating Grain in Wagon - 

Box 193 

Cannon-Bearings, Oiling ... 95 



c 

Page. 
Canvas Cover for a Separa- 
tor 198 

Canvas, Stitched, Belt 206 

Care of a Separator 197 

Castings for Horse-Powers. IIS 

Center-Head Packing 66 

Centers, Finding the Dead. . 72 
Chain for Grain Handlers.. 192 
Chains for Engine. Steering 48 
Chain for Tailings Elevator 150 

Check-Board 139 

Check-Valve 25 

Check-Valve, Regrinding . . 26 
Cleaning Apparatus of Sep- 
arator 143 

Cleaning the Boiler 89 

Cleaning the Tubes 91 

Clearance for Engine 43 

Clinkers 30 

Clover, Hulling 165 

Clutch, Friction 96 

Clutch, Adjusting Friction.. 97 

Coal, Firing with 29 

Connecting the Equalizers.. 109 
Connecting-Rod Brasses ... 41 

Common Sieves 145 

Common Sieves, List of . . . . 147 
Common Sieves, To Insert . 145 
Compound Cylinder, Taking 

Apart 66 

Compound Engines 63 

Compound, The Woolf 64 

Compound Valve, Setting. . 80 

Concaves, The ICo 

Concaves, Adjustment of . . 13 8 

Concaves, Setting the 136 

Concaves, Special 137 

Conveyor, The 139 

Conveyor Extension 145 

Conveyor, Removing the ... 199 

Combination Stacker 184 

Combination Stacker, Attach- 
ing 184 

Combination Stacker, Oiling 186 
Combination Stacker, Ope- 
rating 185 

Common Stacker 177 

Contents of "Wagon -Box. .. . 193 

Cost of Oils 36 

Covering Pulleys 212 

Cracking Grain 133 

Cross-Head Adjustment 43 



C 

Page. 

Cup, "Ideal" Grease 36 

Cushion in Cylinder, Steam. 55 

Cut-Off, Steam 55 

Cut-Off for Woolf Gear, Even 80 

Cylinders, Balancing 135 

Cylinder Boxes 132 

Cylinders, End-Play of 132 

Cylinders, for Engines 53 

Cylinders, Lubrication of 

Engine 35 

Cylinder Pulleys, Separator. 131 

Cylinder, Separator 129 

Cj^linder, Special Separator. 135 

Cylinder, Speed of Separator 131 

Cylinder Teeth, Separator.. 129 
Cylinder Teeth Tracking, 

Separator 133 

Cylinder Speed, Ascertaining 130 

D 

Dead-Centers, Finding the.. 72 

Descending Hills 50 

Differential Gear 99 

Differential 'Gear, Locking.. 100 

Differential-Gear, Oiling . . , 101 

Disturbing Valve-Settings.. 75 

Dividing Clearance 43 

Drawing Taper Keys. 212 

Dressing for Belts 203 

E 

Eccentric Strap, Adjusting.. 45 

Elevator, The Tailings 148 

Emmer, Threshing IGO 

End-play, Separator Cylinder 132 
Engine Bearings, Adjust- 
ment of 41 

Engine, Attention to a New 12 

Engine, Compound 63 

Engine Cylinder 53 

Engine, Fittings for 9 

Engine, Handling the 47 

Engine, Horse-Power of. . . 58 

Engine Proper 53 

Engine, Setting the 49 

Engine, Starting a New.... 11 

Engine, Starting on Road.. 48 
Engine, Starting Traction 

Parts 11 

Engine, Steaming Up 10 

Engine, Steering the 48 

Engine Tender 103 

Engine Tender, Attaching.. 104 



E 

Page. 

Engine Tender Wheels 105 

Engine, Oiling the 10 

Engine Valve Gear 69 

Equal Leads, Woolf Gear... 80 

Equalizers. Connecting .... 109 

Exliaust Nozzle 33 

Exhaust Ports 54 

Extension, The Conveyor . . 145 

Expansion of Steam 55 

Expanding Boiler Tubes.... 91 

F 

Fan Blinds 143 

Fan, Removing 200 

Fan Speed 144 

Feeder 1T2 

Feeder, Attaching 172 

Feeder, Folding tlie 173 

Feeder Governor 174 

Feeder, Oiling the 173 

Feeder, Speed of 174 

Feeding the Separator 171 

Feeding by Hand 171 

Feed- Water, The 13 

Feed-Water Heaters 27 

Figuring the Horse-Power.. 62 
Finding the Dead Centers.. 72 

Fire, Starting the 10 

Firing with Coal 29 

Firing with Straw 31 

Firing with Wood SO 

Firing with Various Fuels. 29 
Fish-Backs for Straw-Rack 221 

Fittings for Boiler 83 

Fittings, Attaching Brass.. 9 

Fitting up an Engine 9 

Flax, Threshing 157 

Flues, Cleaning 91 

Foaming 87 

Folding the Feeder 173 

Friction-Clutch 96 

Friction-Clutch, Adjusting.. 97 

Friction-Clutch, Oiling 98 

Fuels. Firing with Various. 29 
G 

Gage-Cocks 13 

Gage-Glass 16 

Gage, Steam 85 

Gearing, Greasing the 96 

Gear, The Differential 99 

Gearing, Traction 95 

Gear, The Valve- 69 



G 

Page- 
Glass, the Water- 16 

Governor, for Engine 57 

Governor, Belt for Engine. 57 

Governor, Feeder 174 

Govei-nor Jumps, If Engine. 5S 
Governor, Oiling the Engine 57 
Governor, Packing Engine. 57 
Governor, Speed of Engine- 57 

Grates in Separator 139 

Grates, Warped Engine 29 

Grain, Cracking 133 

Grain Handlei-s 187 

Grain Handlers, Chain for.. 192 
Grain Handlers, Attaching.. 191 

Grain, Headed 151 

Grain, Quantity of 192 

Grain, Threshing 151 

Grain, Quantity in Wagon- 
Box 193 

Grain, Weight of 194 

Grain Weighers 187 

Gravel Hills 51 

Greasing the Gearing. 96 

Grease-Cup, "Ideal" 36 

Greasing the Trucks... 196 

Grouters, Special High 52 

H 

Handling the Engine 47 

Hand Feeding 171 

Hand-Hole-Plate, Packing.. 90 

Hard Oil 36 

Heater for Feed-Water 27 

Heater, Testing the 28 

High Grouter 52 

Hills, Ascending 50 

Hills, Descending 50 

Hills. Gravel 51 

Holes, Mud 51 

Horse-Powers 107 

Horse-Powers, Adjusting . . Ill 
Horse-Powers, Brake for . . 114 
Horse-Powers, Bull-Pinions 

for 112 

Horse-Powers, Jacks for . . Ill 
Horse-Powers, Horses for . 116 
Horse-Powers, Lubricating. 108 
Horse-Powers. Parts for . . . 118 
Horse-Powers, Reversing .. 113 
Horse-Powers, Setting the.. 108 
Hors«-Powers, Spur Pinions 

for 110. 



H 

Page. 

Horse-Powei'S, Starting 107 

Horse-Power Brake 61 

Horse-Power, Calculating... 61 

Plorse-Power of an Engine. 60 

Horse-Power, Indicated .... 60 

Horse-Power, Rated 58 

Horses, Work of 115 

Hot Boxes 195 

Hulling Clover 165 

I 

"Ideal" Grease-Cup ?6 

Independent Pump 20 

Independent Stacker ITS 

Independent Stacker, Oper- 
ating ISO 

Independent Stacker, Set- 
ting 1T9 

Independent Stacker. Erect- 
ing 179 

Indian Corn, Tliresliing 169 

Indicated Horse-Power 60 

Injector 1^ 

Injector Failing to Work. . . 19 
Inserting Common Sieves. . . 146 

J 

Jack for Horse-Power Ill 

K 

Kafir-Corn, Tliresliing 16S 

Keys, Taper 211 

L. 

Lacing a Belt 204 

Lacing a Canvas Belt 206 

Laying up the Separator... 198 

Lead of Valve 79 

Leather Belts 202 

Lengths of Belts 216 

Leveling the Separator 125 

Link Pveverse, Setting Valve 

with 80 

Lining Up Engine and Sepa- 
rator 49 

List of Common Sieves 147 

Loader No. Five 191 

Loader No. Six 191 

Locking the Differential... 100 

Lost Motion in Engine 41 

Low Water 14 

Lubrication of Engine .... 35 
Lubrication of Cylinder ... 35 



li 

Page. 
Lubrication of Horse-Pow- 
ers lOS 

Lubrication of Separator . . 195 
Lubrication of the Wind- 
Stacker 183 

Lubricator, Attaching the 

"Swift" 39 

Lubricator, Failing to Work 40 
Lubricator, Operating "Swift" 39 
Lucerne Threshing 167 

M 

Main-Bearing, Engine 44 

Main Drive Belt 203 

Main Cylinder Pulleys 131 

Maize, Threshing 169 

"Marsh" Pump, Starting... 21 

Millet, Threshing 160 

Mud-Holes 51 

Mud-Hooks 52 

X 

Nailed Pulley Covers 212 

New Separator, Starting.... 121 

Nozzle, Exhaust 33 

Number One Weigher 188 

Number Two Weigher 1S9 

Number Three Weigher . . . 190 

Number Four Bagger 190 

Number Five Loader 191 

Number Six Loader 191 

O 

Oats, Threshing 155 

Oiling the Attached Stacker 178 

Oiling the Cannon-Bearings 95 

Oiling the Combined Stacker 186 

Oiling the Engine 10 

Oiling the Differential-Gear 101 

Oiling the Feeder 173 

Oiling the Friction-Clutch.. 9S 

Oiling the Governor 57 

Oiling the Separator 122 

Oiling the Tailings-Elevator 150 

Oiling the Trucks 196 

Oiling the Valve of Engine 39 

Oiling the Wind Stacker... 183 

Oil, The Cost of 36 

Oil, Hard 36 

Oil-Pump, Attaching 37 

Old Boiler, Testing an 93 

Old Boiler, Danger of Using 93 



o 

Page. 

Operating- the Attached 

Stacker ITS 

Operating" the Combined 

Stacker 1S5 

Operating the Independent- 
Stacker ISO 

Operating the Swift Lvibri- 

cator 39 

Operating the Wind-Stacker 180 

Orchard-Grass, Threshing.. 167 

P 

Packing the Center-Head of 

Engine 66 

Packing the Governor 57 

Packing the Hand - Hole 

Plates 90 

Packing the Pump 24 

Packing the "Swift" Lubri- 
cator 40 

Packing the Water-Glass. . . 17 

Painting the Boiler 89 

Parts for Horse-Powers. .. . 118 

Peanuts, Threshing 169 

Peas, Threshing 161 

Peas, Special Cylinder for.. 163 

"Penberthy" Injector 18 

"Penberthy" Injector, Start- 
ing 18 

"Penberthy" Injector, Fails 

to Work 19 

Piston, Engine 55 

Pop- Valve 86 

. Port, Exhaust 54 

Port, Steam 54 

Pounding of an Engine.... 41 

Pounding of a Straw-Rack. 142 

Pressure for an Old Boiler. 94 

Priming 88 

"Prony" Brake 61 

Pulleys for Cylinder-Shaft. 131 

Pulleys, Covering 212 

Pulley-Covers, Nailed ...... 212 

Pulley-Covers, Riveted .... 213 

R 

Rated Horse-Power 58 

Regrinding Check-Valves . . 27 

Removing the Beater 198 

P^emoving the Conveyor ... 199 

Removing the Fan 200 

Removing the Rock-Shaft.. 198 



R 

Page. 
Jwcmoving the Straw-Raek. 199 

Removiiig the Shoe 199 

Removing the Spur-Wheel 

Shaft 113 

Removing Taper-Keys 212 

Repairing and Testing Heat- 
er 2S 

Reverse-Gear for Engine... G9 
Reversing Geaiing of Horse- 
Powers 113 

Rever.sing Tumbling - Rod 

Motion 113 

Rice, Threshing- 164 

Riveted Pulley-Covers 213 

Rock-Shaft, Removing 198 

Rubber-Belts 202 

Rye, Threshing 154 

S 

Safety-Valve 86 

Scraping the Tubes 91 

Screens i4S 

Self-Feeders 172 

Separator, Belts for 210 

Sepai-ator, Belting 201 

Separator, Canvas Cover for 198 

Separator. Care of 197 

Separator Cylinder 129 

Separator, Feeding the .... 171 

Separator, Laying Up 198 

Separator Lubrication 195 

Separator, Oiling the 122 

Separator, Pulleys iov 211 

Separator, Setting I'p 121 

Separator, Setting the 125 

Separator, Starting a New. 121 

Separator, Side-Gear 110 

Setting the Concaves 136 

Setting the Engine 49 

Setting the Horse-Power . . 108 
Setting the Independent 

Stacker 179 

Setting the Separator 125 

Setting the Separator Up... 121 
Setting Separator with Wind 126 
Setting the Valve, Compound 80 
Setting the Valve, Link- 
Reverse 80 

Setting the Valve, Woolf- 

Reverse 76 

Shoe, Removing the 199 

Shoe, Waste at 220 



s 

Page. 
Side-Gear for Separator.... 110 

Sieves 144 

Sieves, Adjustable 144 

Sieves, Common 145 

Sieves, To Insert 146 

Simple Engine 53 

Slide-Valve 54 

Slip of Valve, Woolf-Valve- 

Gear 78 

Solid-Boxes, Babbitting .... 215 

Soy-Beans, Threshing 163 

Special Concaves 137 

Special Cylinder, Rice 135 

Special Cylinder for Beans. 163 
Special High Grouters .... 52 

Special Straw-Rack 142 

Speed, Ascertaining Cylinder 131 
Speed of Separator Cylinder 130 

Speed of Fan 144 

Speed of Feeder 174 

Speed of Governor on En- 
gine 57 

Speed of Sti-aw-Rack 141 

Speed of Tumbling-Rod ... 110 

Speed of Wind-Stacker 184 

Speltz, Threshing 160 

Split-Box, Babbitting 216 

Spur-Pinions, Horse-Power. 110 
Spur-Wheel Shaft, Horse- 
Power 115 

Stackers, Straw 177 

Stackers, Attached 178 

Stackers, Combined 184 

Stackers, Common 177 

Stackers, Independent 178 

Stackers, Wind 180 

Stack Building 183 

Starting Engine ....11 and 47 

Starting Horse-Power 107 

Starting Injector 18 

Starting Marsh Pump 21 

Starting Separator 121 

Starting Traction-Gearing.. 11 

Steam Admission 55 

Steam Cut-Off 55 

Steam Expansion 55 

Steam Gage 85 

Steam Ports 54 

Steel Cable, Use of 51 

Steering the Engine 48 

Straining the Feod-Woter . . 13 



S 

Page. 

Straw, Firing with 31 

Straw-Rack 139 

Straw-Rack, Fish-Backs . . . 221 

Straw-Rack, Removing .... 199 

Straw-Rack Pounding 142 

StraAV-Rack, Speed of 141 

Straw-Rack, Special 142 

Straw-Rack, "Texas" Special 168 

Straw-Stackers 177 

'"Swift" Lubricator, Attach- 
ing 39 

"Swift" Lubricator, Fails to 

Work 40 

"Swift" Lubricator, Operat- 
ing 39 

"Swift" Lubricator, Packing 40 

T 

Tanks 103 

Tank-Pump 104 

Tailings Elevator 148 

Tailings Elevator, Oiling . . 150 
Tailings Elevator, Adjust- 
ing 150 

Tailings Elevator Chain ... 150 

Taper-Keys 211 

Taper-Keys, Drawing 212 

Testing Water-Heater 28 

Temperature of Steam .... 83 
Temperature of Water .... 83 

Testing a Boiler 93 

Tenders, Engine 103 

Tenders, Attaching, Engine 104 
Tender-Wheels, Engine .... 105 

Teeth for Cylinders 129 

Teeth-Tracking 133 

"Texas" Straw-Rack 168 

Throttle, The 56 

Threshing Alfalfa 167 

Threshing Barley 156 

Threshing Beans 163 

Threshing Buckwheat 159 

Threshing Emnier leO' 

Threshing Flax 157 

Threshing Headed Grain . . 151 
Threshing Indian Corn .... 169 

Threshing Kafir-Corn 168 

Threshing Lucerne 167 

Threshing Maize 169 

Threshing Millet 160 

Threshing Oats 155 

Threshing Orchard Grass . . 167 



T 

Page. 

Threshing Peas I'ol 

Threshing Peanuts 169 

Threshing Rice 164 

Threshing Rye 15-i 

Threshing Soy Beans 163 

Threshing Speltz 160 

Threshing Timothy 158 

Threshing Turkey-Wheat .. 154 

Threshing Wheat 152 

Threshing, Waste in 219 

Timothy Threshing 158 

Tracking of Teeth 133 

Traction-Parts, Starting the 11 

Traction-Gearing 95 

Tubes, Cleaning the 81 

Tubes, Expanding and Read- 
ing 91 

Tumbling-Rod, Reversing .. 113 
Tumbling-Rod, Speed of ... 110 

Trucks, Greasing 196 

Turkey-Wheat, Thresliing. . 154 
V 

Valve, Check 25 

Valve, Compound 64 

Valve-Gear, Engine 69 

Valve-Gear, Disturbing .... 70 

Valve Lead 79 

Valve, Pop Safety 86 

Valve-Seat 54 

Valve, Setting Woolf Gear. 76 
Valve, Setting Link Gear.. 80 
Valve, Setting Compound.. SO 

Valve-Slip 78 

Valve, If Disturbed 75 

Valve Lubrication C5 

Valve, Slide 54 

Various Fuels, Firing with. 29 



Page. 
Wagon-Box, Contents of.,. 193 

Washing the Boiler 89 

Waste in Thresiiing 219 

Waste at Shoe 220 

Water, Feed 13 

Water, Foaming 87, 

Water-Gauge 16 

Water-Glass, Broken 17 

Water Glass, Packirig 17 

Water-Heater 27 

Water, Low 14 

Water, Priming 88 

Water Tanks 103 

Water Temperature in Boiler 83 

Weight of Grain 194 

Weights of Grains 187 

Weigher Number One 188 

Weigher Number Two 189 

Weighing Bagger "Number 

Three 190 

Wheat. Threshing 152 

Wheels for Engine-Tender. 105 
"White-Caps" in Wheat... 153 

Wind-Board 144 

Wind, Setting with 125 

Wind-Stacker 180 

Wind-Stacker Lubrication. 183 
Wind-Stacker Operation ... 180 

Wind-Stacker Speed 184 

Wind-Stacker Stack Building 183 

Wood, Firing with 30 

Woolf Compound, The 64 

Woolf Reverse - Gear, Set- 
ting Valve 76 

Woolf Valve-Gear 70 



JUN 21 1'^^^ 



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